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Welcome in episode one, What's Right with Nick Wright? Huge show today. You know, the other day I said we were gonna try to have a quick show. I don't know that I can promise you that today because we have so much to do. We have an NFL Draft recap. Round one of the NBA playoffs are over. Round two has already begun. Steph Lebron Part five starts tonight. So much to get to right now, however, we must get
to what. And by the way, my lovely daughter newly eighteen year old daughter, Diora Diora, don't leave me hanging. She's here hosting with me. Appreciate it. She's on the show. She just had a birthday this weekend. It was wonderful. It was lovely. Here's what did not make the cut for today's show. Not on today's show, and Hopkins saying, who said I want to go? Yeah he did? Uh, DeAndre, I thought the Chiefs might trade for you. I thought
someone might trade for you. You definitely thought someone's gonna trade for you. That's why there were trade rumors. Aaron Rodgers a Little Madison Square Garden double dip Ranger game, then a Knicks game, and then Lebron gives some bad wildlife advice, talking about if you see me fighting a grizzly bear, help the bear. That is actually a verse
from a mystical freestyle. I preferred the tweet that he sent, which was a verse from Kingdom come back in six from jay Z. But regardless, we'll get to Lebron in a bit, But first to you or oh, that's a look at the sea. That's an unnecessary photoshop with me helping Lebron with a grizzly bear, give me a break. That is no way to start the show. We have too much to do to be distracted by this nonsense. Also, by the way, speaking of birthdays, as we mentioned yours
eighteenth birthday was this weekend. Our executive producer Matt Ford's birthday is today, so happy birthday to Matt. Do your what are we starting with?
So today we're going to start with the Warriors pulled off the series comeback against the Kings. Curry had fifty in game seven. Yeh, if only someone, someone on this show said that you'd regret picking the Kings. It must be hard for you as a Warriors hater and a sax Stan. Steph is entering Top ten conversations. But you still doubt the Warriors. You gave your flowers to Curry and also said the Warriors would have won if Fox stayed healthy.
No, the Kings would have won.
The Kings would have won if Fox stayed healthy. So which is it? Are the Warriors lucky? Or is it time for you to admit that you were wrong about them again?
Can it be a little of boat?
No, it's a yes or no question.
It's actually not a yes or no question. Is an either or question. It was it? Was it this? Or was it that? That is not a yes or no question, ma'am. It's also a little of both. The Warriors did get lucky. Darren Fox was thirty two, seven and six on good efficiency and was taking care of the ball. He then broke his finger and averaged instead of thirty two a game, twenty four a game. The efficiency fell off the map and the turnovers double. That was a huge factor in
this series, right, So that's where they got lucky. Where I was wrong is underestimating Steph's ability by himself, with some help from Kevon Looney, to just carry this team. And this is where so listen and we'll get to Lakers Warriors. In a bit, I'm sad for the Kings, for the King's part of it. Sabonis needed to be better. I didn't love some of their Game seven rotational decisions, felt like way too much. Terrence Davis. I felt like Game six they went small and may and I understand
Terrence Davis was part of that Game seven. It's hard to kill them too much because they're up at half, but obviously that third quarter killed them. They couldn't make a basket, they couldn't get a rebound, and Steph went incandescent. Steph Curry Game seven, Yeah, incandescent Steph Curry Game seven.
Most points in NBA history in a Game seven with fifty. Furthermore, in the last sixty years, there has been one person to score forty five in a game seven win, and that was Lebron in twenty eighteen in Round one against the Pacers. One guy's done it in sixty years. Durant scored forty eight in the game seve they lost. Dominique scored forty seven in a Game seven they lost. Lebron and o Eight scored forty five in a Game seven they lost, So only two even forty five point game
sevens and wins. Step just had one of them. So that then brings up the top ten stuff. And that's where it gets tricky because it does feel like there are twelve guys for ten spots. So my top ten of the last fifty years, which you can check out on our YouTube channel, we have individual videos for every single player. It is absolutely worth your time. It should have gotten me an NBA Awards vote, but I'm not bitter about it.
He's a little bit of My top.
Ten of the last fifty years goes like this. Lebron Kareem, Jordan, Magic, Duncan, Kobe, Bird, a Cheme, Shack, Steph. That's how it That's how it was as of the end of last season. That's ten names. You then add Wilt and Russell. That's where you get your twelve. So where does Steph slot in? There? Has Steph now jumped above Shack and a Keem. I've gotta it's really hard because Shaq's the most dominant player I've ever seen at his peak. The Keem's the greatest defensive
player since Russell. So the Steph versus Shaq and a Keem stuff is tough. But ahead of Shaq and a keem Are, Bird, Kobe, and Duncan. And this is where it gets really interesting for Steph because he's won on the same level of those guys. Duncan five titles, six finals appearances, Kobe five titles, seven finals appearances, Bird, three titles, five finals appearances, Steph four titles, six finals appearances. He is the greatest teammate in modern NBA history, with the
only close competitor being Duncan. He is not the defender Kobe or Duncan was, but he is arguably the most potent offensive weapon in the history of the sport. So how do you measure that out? The issue for Steph when it comes to jumping those guys is a body of work problem. And by that I mean, and I'll be quick on this, but it is worth noting how many truly great seasons do each of them have, so Steph Curry And again, you can check this out in
the video series. And keep in mind the video series was done before he won last year's title, or it might have been done right when he won last year's title. I don't remember, but it doesn't matter. It was being done while he was in route to winning the title. Great seasons Steph has four first Team All NBAS, two MVPs, four total top five MVP finishes. So as far as this guy might be the best player in the league, he's unquestionably one of the five best players in the league.
He has four years like that, four first team All NBAS, four top five MVP finishes. That's where it gets really hard for him against Bird, Kobe and Duncan. Bird nine first team All MVP, nine top five MVP finishes and three overall MVPs, Kobe eleven first team all in All NBAS, eleven top five MVP finishes, one overall MVP, Duncan ten first team All NBAS, nine top five MVP finishes with two wins. And it's also I know people were doing the is he better than Magic argument? I'm not ready
for that. I don't think that's right. Magic had twelve seasons pre HIV twelve seasons. In those twelve seasons, nine of them he was first Team All NBA. Nine of them he was Top three MVP. Nine of them he went to the NBA Finals and won five titles. So we can't leaping him over Magic. Now. If he wins the title this year, it's different. Go ahead to your nothing you wanted to say something, I'm.
Just gonna say, like, how do we get here?
Like because the question was about him being top ten all time? And so we Here's the problem with people. When people do top tens, they include fifteen people in it. If you're gonna accurately and adequately do a top ten, you've got to say who's in and who's out. Now, if you want to say Steph has now done enough to jump above Shack and a keem, I'll listen to it. Has he done enough yet to jump ahead of Bird
who would be next in line? I'm not quite there yet because he doesn't have the full body of work, but I think he will get there, and him versus Kobe and versus Duncan will be very interesting. Him versus Wilt is always gonna be tough because Wilt did not have the winning Wilt was not a great teammate, but Wilt was as individually dominant as any player in league history. Obviously, All right, what's the follow up here to you?
How bright do you think the Kings feature is?
I think it's really good, really bright, But I'm not ready to say this definitively alright in pencil not pen They might have a what are you laughing about that, I'm a wordsmith that I'm painting a picture of my words writing in pencil not pain Yeah, there you go exactly. I don't know if that would quite be a metaphor.
No, it's definitely a meph.
I'm not sure about that. Here's the thing for the Kings, and this is what I'll write in pencil, not pin So Bonus might not be a playoff player and that would be a killer for him. Fox is monk is. I thought Keegan Murray acquitted himself very well after the beginning of that series. But I'm not sure that sis could be a it's two, it's just seven games, but Sabonis was a problem for them all.
Right, next, now we are set up for an all for an all time round two series Lakers Warriors Lebron the Steph Steph is fifteen and seven and Lebron is in.
The playoffs versus Lebron in the playoffs.
Versus Lebron in the playoffs. Y yikes, but.
Saying yikes about that stat or yikes about you messing up the read I'm not sure. Go ahead, sorry, go ahead, go ahead? Sorry? As you were if I.
See where I am. Okay, sorry sorry, If Lebron loses to Steph again, how can you say that this guy is the goat and he's not even the greatest of his era. How badly does Lebron need this win for his legacy?
Lebron does not need this at all. And this is where and I just gave a love letter to Steph, but this is where I will not engage. I will not engage in a is Steph greater than Lebron argument? There is no basis for it, just none. Forget the body of work stuff that I just laid out. Where again, where I said Steph had four top five MVP finishes and four first team All NBAS and Lebron just for the record, where he's at on there he has thirteen
first team All NBAS and fourteen top five MVP finishes. Okay, so forget that part of it. And as far as oh what if Steph has a winning record against him in the playoffs, Check Michael Jordan's record in the playoffs against Larry Bird spoiler alert, it's oh to six. Check his record against Isaiah Thomas in the playoffs. Check shacks record against Carl alone in the playoffs, it's one to eight. Here is what actually is on the line in this series now, if either one of them win a championship,
it has massive legacy implications for them both. Lebron wins a championship in year twenty, and it is no longer debatable who the greatest player of all time is. Steph wins a championship in year twenty, and I do think he probably he's not in your twenty Pardon me, but at age thirty five, that ends the Steph versus Larry Bird discussion and makes the step versus Kobe and discussions
really really interesting versus Kobe and Duncan discussions. Pardon me, but here's what Steph has an opportunity to do that he's never done, and he should do it because of where they both are in their career. And I understand Lebron's thirty eight steps thirty five, so it doesn't say that different. But here's the reality of Lebron has played playoffs in regular season combined sixty five thousand minutes. Only Kareem has played more. For some context on that, Steph
has played thirty five thousand minutes. Damian Lillard has played thirty thousand minutes, so all of the minutes on the court in Dame's career playoffs in regular season. Add that to Steph's career playoffs and regular season, and you have Lebron's career. So here is the opportunity that Steph has this series, win or lose. And this is why I don't care that much about the overall record. He has played Lebron in the playoff series four times and a
play in once. He has never once outplayed never once. The twenty fifteen finals, Lebron was thirty six thirteen and nine, Steph was twenty six five and six, and Lebron was so dominant in that thirty six thirteen and nine they gave Finals MVP to a guy who evered sixteen points because he held Lebron to thirty six, thirteen and nine. The twenty sixteen finals, Lebron was thirty eleven and nine
and Steph was twenty two, five and four. The twenty seventeen finals, Lebron was thirty four twelve and ten and Steph was twenty seven eight and nine. And the twenty eighteen finals, Lebron was thirty four nine ten and Steph was twenty eight, six, and seven. There has never been a single finals that Steph out played Lebron, not one. So I understand he has the winning record because for he's fifteen and seven for eight of those wins, and only one of those losses he had Durant with him
in twenty fifteen. It was Lebron, Moscow and Della Vedova. They had healthy, evenly matched teams once in twenty sixteen and that led to one of the greatest finals ever and Lebron having the greatest three game shut in the history of the sport. So it will be good talk show fodder. It is also utter nonsense if we had and again that is not disrespectful to Steph. It is just an accurate reading of the situation.
Next, okay, so you know look away demons.
But you think Demanse by the way, is watching no chance watch. I disagree with you. I think he's watching it. I don't think he's watching it live. Oh he's there, Demo. Look at this. Whoa wow, he's in studio.
Oh I am indeed watching bro the throw shade there I'm watching.
Is this your first time, screw you?
But yes, this is my first time being in the office. It's not my first time watching it live, though.
It's not.
I also also sent you a little bit of money for your birthday yesterday.
Did you get it?
I did get it, all right.
I just wanted to make sure that I didn't get a message or anything.
You know, But I love you. Guys.
Supposed to play Fortnite last night.
This didn't text me for that either.
Okay, all right, hold on sibling rivalry notwithstanding diora if you could read this question, because then I do actually want to talk to Demand for a moment about this series, just because this is his team. But go ahead.
Okay. So the seventy six Ers won Game one last night and the Celtics behind James Harden's forty five. The scariest part is Embiid didn't even play. What does Demonse have to say about it?
Well, we can ask him directly, but I also think we have a tweet of his that we can show Demanse we not worried about it, is all I'm gonna say, laughing emoji, laughing to hide his tears and fear emoji. So what's the question here, Scoot?
Everyone is going to overreact to this Celtics loss.
Are you all right, So before I answer, because and you guys can then cut my mic for a moment, because I know there's to be some audio weirdness with demanse answering. Demonse are resident Celtics fan, give us your take on this game and that series in the series.
Hey man, I just don't think that what the Sixers did and what James Harden did yesterday is sustainable. The Celtics is gonna pick it back up. You know, we always tend to get sloppy. I'm not worried about it one hundred percent. Think that you should fear what's going to happen next to the Lakers a lot more than me. I'm feeling good about it. I'm not worried about it at all.
Okay, here's why I do think, And let's turn off Demonse's mic for a moment just so the audio works better. I do think there is reason for concern for Boston in this regard. Boston has not looked like the championship favorite that they allegedly are since the first game of the postseason. The first game of the playoffs they blew out Atlanta. It looked like that series was going to be a laugher. The second game of the playoffs, they beat Atlanta. It was maybe a little closer than you'd wanted,
but it was fine. It looked like the series is gonna be a laugher. They then lose to Atlanta in Game three, lose to Atlanta at home in Game five, and then need a furious fourth quarter comeback to beat Atlanta in Game six. You then play Philly with no embeid Harden, fresh off of Vegas trip. He drops forty five on you, and some really an odd game from Jalen Brown and some odd postgame comments from Jalen Brown.
Jalen Brown was six of seven in the first quarter of that game, finished the game eight of ten, so after the first quarter he took three shots the rest of the game. He's asked about the end of the game when he was trying to push in transition and then didn't and he when they ended up getting a shot like violation on the play, and he says, uh, yeah, I was trying to run, but no one was running with me. He also has this very odd hand cut on his hand that he said he got from picking
up a vase. Okay, his like the Jalen Brown thing. Is something to monitor and be at least semi concerned about. Furthermore, there's another one to your further the Celtics lost a game where they scored thirty eight points on eighty five percent shooting in the first quarter. I've never seen a team shoot eighty five percent in a quarter ever. I'm sure it's been done. I don't remember ever seeing it.
And this is why not taking care of business and playing with your food, or as Doc Rivers unfortunately called it, not taking care of business and playing with your meat, can come back to bite you. The Celtics, had they won Game five against Atlanta, this series against Philly would have started on Saturday. EMBIID would have missed that game. Clearly was not going to be ready for Game two, which was going to be today yesterday, and maybe miss game three. Now you go longer with Atlanta, you lose
game one. Now EMBIID doesn't even have to come back for Game two, and Philly has already stolen home court. So I'd love to get more from Demons on this, but it does seem like it's The audio is not great when we go back and forth with him using
the producer mic Hey. But I will say this. The other thing, someone should tell Demonse's guy, Robert Williams time Lord that the playoffs are here, because he's supposed to be their X factor and the guy's getting twenty minutes a game and is yet to have I think he's had one super high impact game, so I think there
are a lot of warning signs for Boston. Conversely, Philly at some point has to get some respect considering they're undefeated in the postseason despite Embiid only playing two games fully healthy and three games at all, and they're five and zero, and right now, if you remember, you know my pick was Lakers Sixers. The two teams with the best record since the All Star Break across the entire NBA are the Lakers and the Sixers. And shout out
to Harden. Playoffs have been a bugaboo for him his entire career, and not only forty five, but a step back, go ahead three in the final twenty seconds. There's this big time in the final thirty seconds that was as big time as it gets. Now, do I think Philly's a lock for the series. I don't because I don't know the health of him Bid, But the idea Philly was a ten point dog yesterday Boston losing that game. It really is a disaster for him. All right, last one of the first segment, you are.
Despite poor shooting all around, Denver took a two to zero lead on the Suns. Yep, Jokics, Sorry, yeah, you got it. Jokics looked like the best player in the world, while Katie couldn't even buy a three. Yeah, you picked the Nuggets in this series. Are you worried at all that this is King's Warriors two point zero?
No? I I think Phoenix is in real trouble. I've been saying that. I said it when they were beating the Clippers. They do not have a bench, and yesterday Manti Williams actually tried to He played eleven guys. I'm gonna do this math quickly. Twenty six plus sixteen is forty two plus eleven is fifty three plus nine is
sixty two plus five is sixty seven plus. He played his bench seventy minutes, So there's only two hundred and forty minutes in zwo of playing Diamond a game forty eight minute game, five guys on the court, two hundred and forty minutes. He played his bench for seventy of those two hundred and forty minutes. So what is that like? Right around twenty eight to twenty nine percent something like that of the game was given to the bench. How many points do you do you or I know you
didn't watch the game it was on late. How many points do you think those that bench seventy twenty nine percent? God, that's satisfying. Let's do seventy over to forty quickly.
I like that.
How many how many points do you think those bench players combined for in their seventy minutes of action? Give me a range. Well, the least they could score a zero. Well, the team scored as a total eighty seven points. The bench played about a quarter or twenty percent of the game. How much do you think the bench scored? Hold on, I'll help you out. I'll give you this. The Nuggets bench, which played fifty four minutes, had thirteen points, So not
that much. I'm gonna say twenty four. The bench scored four points. The bench was two of sixteen from the field gave you nothing once again, Damian Lee gave you twenty six unproductive minutes. Josha Koge, who was a bench player but started for you, was one of three from the field for two points. So your non big four guys were a combined three of nineteen for six points.
Not gonna work. You then add to it that Chris Paul tweaked his groin shocker the sunder in dire straits, and then you have the odd Kevin Durant part of it, which is duract. Listen, Durant was not good in this game. In these playoffs as a whole, he's been good. It's been twenty eight a game, twenty eight nine and five on fifty percent from the field. He's been good, but not as dominant as I think people expected him to be good enough. Say it again, Yeah, it seems unfair,
but that's what it feels like. He hasn't had a single I'm Kevin Durant, I'm gonna, you know, destroy your world game yet this postseason. He's been very consistent. Yesterday was his first bad game from a field goal percentage standpoint, but twenty seven, twenty five, twenty eight, thirty one, thirty one, twenty nine, twenty four. But they need more. And and I said this, and Brew and I don't know wild degreed or disagreed, but the minutes were going to catch
up to him. Minutes played in these playoffs are in forty four, forty four, forty one, forty four, forty four, thirty six because they got blown out forty four. Booker's been excellent, not enough. I think the Suns are in real trouble. And all the Jokic stuff, I know people are going to recreate my history on Nikoli. Jokic never said the guy's a bad player. I simply said I
did not think he deserved his two previous MVPs. I also said this year I would have been fine with him winning MVP if he hadn't won the previous two, because this year he fit the bill of an actual MVP, had unbelievable stats, the team was the one seed. They're a real contender. But I wasn't gonna let I wasn't okay with Yokic winning three in a row. With all that said, he was extraordinary yesterday and he's been awesome
this postseason. And Lakers Nuggets in the Conference finals, which we saw in the bubble, is gonna be great and we're gonna get it again because the Lakers are beating the Warriors. I didn't actually give that just real quick here, I think Lakers Warriors is going to follow the exact same beats as Lakers Grizzlies, where the Lakers win Game one, lose Game two, win Game three and four, lose Game five, win game six. I think that is gonna be the beats of this series. And I think the Lakers out
in order to hurt my ankle. In order to win a championship, the Lakers are gonna have to probably go something close to undefeated at home in the postseason. They're a quarter of the way they are at three and Zo Deora excellent first segment, Demonse, that was delightful seeing you. It's also don't care Season five, Demonse wrote on wrote on a piece of paper, what'd you say to yours so they can see him? I think, yeah, well, well, here's the thing to you ere, this is an audio
and a video enterprise. So some people just listen to your podcast, so they can't see all our cool graphics, are cool studio, your lovely outfit today. They can't see any of that. They just they are just you know, listening. So I have to, you know, walk, I have to read for them. Demonzi says, season five, that's not happening. Pal season five is not happening. This Celtics could win the series. But Celtics and five is not happening. And
the Suns and that Chris Paul injury. If he's out, man, it's not that he's been great, but they don't have the depth. And that was the concern with putting all your eggs in a basket with a thirty seven, thirty eight year old point guard thirty how old's drink thirty four. There's some real, real risk there, and I think they're seeing it now. Quick break, sixty second, break right back, talk a little NFL draft, and play a cool game. That's all next.
Well's right, We're so done with New Year, New you. This year, it's more you on bumble, more of you shamelessly sending playlists, especially that one filled with show tunes. More of you finding geminis because you know you always like them. More of you dating with intention because you know what you want and you know what we love that for you. Someone else will too be more you this year and find them on bumble.
All right, Welcome back, do that every time, Welcome back in Let me have it, okay, just remind me and I'll let you have it, but it sounds bad and we both do it. I'll just let you have it.
Now.
Your brother is in La watching from the studio. I never let him do that, but he also didn't have the audacity to even try to do that. Demonse understood his role as the co host, like we are both well, don't have to have the same argument. Next you're gonna try to argue with me a barbecue or something. We don't need to be in reruns already you're wrong. That's fine, don't worry about it. But welcome back in and you can do that in the future. What are we doing with before we get to our game?
So we're gonna talk about the NFL draft has come and gone. Yep, And there's lots of talk about qbs and oh my gosh, qbs and the Lions taking.
And taking a running back, taking a running back.
But most importantly, do you think people already throwing the Eagle Super Bowl parade is a bit much?
Okay, listen, I do like what the Eagles did. Jalen Carter could have been the number one player in the draft. Massive off field concerns, but the talent is undeniable. They think they have the culture to deal with it. At number nine, they traded up from ten to nine. I get it. The player they took at thirty Nolan Smith is the guy I wanted the Chiefs to draft at thirty one. So I'm not gonna act like I don't understand why people are loving days after the draft what
the Eagles did. It should be noted on Nolan Smith that despite his insane combine measurables athletic freak tests that he had that he just ace, he was not wildly productive at Georgia last year. He only played eight games and sacks can be a misleading number. Where he only had three. The guy only had eighteen total tackles. So the upside is there situational pass rusher down to down.
I say again, I wanted him on my team. But the other thing that I think Howary Roseman is really good, I also think there is some confirmation bias thus far in how we evaluate him. Okay, so let's just go through his first round picks over the last few years. Because he's been great at trading, great at being aggressive, fight drafting, Jalen Hurts in the second round. Believing in him. All that stuff is a triple plus the draft. However, last year they took Jordan Davis at number thirteen. The
jury is out on him. I think he's good. I think he'll be good. Nobody can act like what they saw from him his rookie season, which was marred at the end by a high ankle sprain enough to definitively say, oh yeah, no doubt that was the right pick. The year before, they took Devonte Smith at number ten. I like that pick a lot. I think that was the right pick. Now, it's not fair to be like, would
you have rather had Micah Parsons at twelve? Of course you would have, But the question is him versus the receivers that came after him. He's been better than Kadarius Tony, obviously better than Rashad Bateman. So you like that pick. The year before that, in the first round, they took Jalen Rager over Justin Jefferson. That is a massive miss. The year before that, in the first round, they took Andre Dillard, and that was a massive miss. They they
took Derek Barnett. I don't know how he was there when they took Derek Barnett. They took Derek Barnett in the first round. He's fine, I don't. I don't think many Eagles fans would say, oh yeah, he's he lived up to that first round pick. And obviously the Wins extension was a disaster. So I do think there was a little too much of media group think and just drafting all Georgia guys. I think could have some downside
to it, but I like their players. I like the guys they got, and if my team were drafting in those spots of two, I would have wanted.
Them to take How do you think the Chiefs did?
So they addressed their three biggest positions of need. They didn't move up to get Nolan Smith. They stayed where they were, and they took the Kansas City kid from k State Azuma to be a defensive end. That's back to back first round picks they've used on defensive end. Last year they obviously had two thanks to the Tyreek Hill trade. I liked Carl Loftus last year. We'll see what Ozuoma does in the second round. They they, according to the consensus boards, reached massively on Rareshi Rice, the
wide receiver from SMU Now. He was wildly productive in college and they obviously liked him. I I'm not gonna act like I scouted Rashi Rice. I'm not a draft guy, wils. I wanted them to go defensive end, wide receiver or wide receiver defensive end in that order they did. They just got to be right on the player. And then they took an upside tackle in Juanya Morris. And again they traded up in the second and third round to target both of those guys. So those were clearly players
they really wanted. And so then you just gotta see if they end up being you know, last year they crushed the draft. Only Seattle had a better draft than him last year, So you gotta wait and see. They did address their biggest positions of need. Now I do want to spend a couple of minutes here talking about the other big stories of the draft. Okay, I cannot overstate what a long term disaster I think the Texans draft is going to prove to be. Everyone loved. I
shouldn't say everyone. A lot of people loved it because they end up with their quarterback CJ. Stroud and the best defensive player, Will Anderson. The price they paid to go get Will Anderson in trading the twelfth pick, the thirty third pick, and this is the most important part. Next year's number one pick is bananas. It's in. The Texans could be the worst team in the league next year. They they traded away the number one pick of the draft, or maybe the number one pick of the draft, their
number one pick. If the Texans loved will Anderson that much, you could just stay it too, draft him at two and then at twelve take another blue chip player like Christian Gonzales, or trade out of that pick, which you obviously could have, so you can draft Caleb Williams, who is a generational prospect next year, or Bryce may or even if you just love CJ. Stroud CJ. Stroud on this team, They're not going to be good next year. I can't believe the Cardinals. The Cardinals very likely. I
shouldn't say likely. It is absolutely on the board that the Cardinals go into next year's draft with the first and second pick of the draft. They could be the worst team. The Texans could be the second worst team. So I thought the Cardinals crushed. I thought what the Texans did was back crazy, And now I want to defend the Lions for a moment, all of my smart media friends. They are in agreement on one thing. The
Lions draft was stupid. They drafted these non premium positions and they didn't get the value they needed all of it. Here is my tepid defense of the Lions. I don't think drafting the second best running back in the draft at twelve is good strategy. I don't think drafting an inside backer at eighteen is good strategy. I understand that. I think the Lions looked at it like this. They must have believed that Jamiir Gibbs it's good enough in a normal draft to be far and away the best
running back in a non Vjon Robinson draft. Everyone agrees that Jack Campbell is the best inside linebacker. Everyone agrees that Brian Branch, the safety that they gotten around two, is the best safety. And they must have fallen in love with Sam Laporta, a player I liked, but everyone
was shocked that he went before Michael Meyer. But they had the opportunity, so I think they looked at this draft and said, with our first four picks, we can get the best or the second best player in the entire draft at four positions and instantly have for the next five years, a top level starting safety, a top level starting tight end, a top level starting inside backer, and our top level running back. I understand the positional value part of it. I understand why analytically speaking, it
was not sound. But I also understand the lion's perspective of Okay, we're sitting there at where was there forty five? We could get the seventh best receiver or the best safety. We're sitting there at eighteen. We could get the fifth best pass rusher or the best inside backer. We're sitting there at twelve we could get the fourth best offensive
lineman or a running back we love. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I don't think it's as quite as insane as what seemingly everyone else in the analytical community thinks it is. So those were my big draft takeaways, and now we can move on to the game.
Go ahead, Okay. In this game, we are going to run through each of the remaining playoff teams, and you will give us a reason why you think they should they can win the finals, or reason why you think they can't win the five, and what each team's X factor will be. Yep, we've heard you talk enough about the Warriors and Lakers, though, So we're gonna stick to the teams who can actually win.
Okay, well that's that's a cheap shot at both the Warriors.
And anyways, first off, the Celtics.
All right, why can they win the finals? Embiid not fully healthy, home court throughout, Tatum plays out of his mind. That's why they can win. That's their path. Why they wouldn't win is a really weird Jalen Brown situation. I just I haven't loved his quotes. I haven't loved. I thought yesterday was bizarre taking three shots in the final three quarters. I think that could play a huge role.
And the X factors their rookie head coach Joe Missoula, and the Joe Missoula has not exactly bathed himself in glory thus far this postseason. And even if they get out of Round two Spolstra, what they have waiting for them, and that the best coach in basketball, that could be a hell of a challenge in round three. So to me, the are X factor is Joe Missoula, without question. All right, next seventy six ers? All right, so why very simple? Outrageous depth and the MVP. That's why why not would
be playoff Harden? If playoff Harden who yesterday was not playoff Harden. And that's a great thing. And the X factor is Tobias Harris. I feel like we know what we're gonna get from MAXI. We know if and be healthy, what we're gonna get from embiid. If Tobias Harris can consistently just give you what he gave you last night, which is not a ton but right or what let me see what he finished with last night? I think it was right around twenty. Tobias last night had eighteen
points on sixteen shots, made two threes. That's all you need from it. It's very simple for them.
Next, okay, next is the Knicks.
Okay, the Knicks can't win the title. I'm sorry Knicks fans, and you're mad at me.
Say why they could?
Though?
And why not? You'd think there's nothing they could.
I mean, the other teams canceled their flights. The Knicks can't win the title. They can't gonna walk out.
Of here and there's gonna be a listen.
And then the Knicks have been better than I expected. I was wrong about them to a degree, but they don't have enough top level talent. They just don't. They can't win the title. Why not? They don't have enough talent the X factor, call it the MSG crowd. That'll be great, but sorry, we just let's just move on. Next the Heat. Why can Why can the Heat win the title?
Yeah?
Jimmy freaking Butler and Eric Spolstrom, the best coach in the league and a dominant playoff player. That's that's why they can win the title. It's very simple. Jimmy Butler and now he turned his ankle and we got to see how healthy is. I bet he plays tonight. But they have the best coach and they have a guy who has been playing at the highest level of anyone this postseason. That's why they can't. Why they can't is
the overall talent's not enough. They're leaning a lot on Kyle Lowry and then you get to Struce and Vincent and Caleb Martin and a Zeller brother wearing a mask. The X factor is Kyle Lowry. Does Kyle Lowry have one more great playoff run in him? If he does, man that's a backpad is a tough ass back court man in Butler and Lowry. All right, Next, the Suns why could they? Booker and Durant have the highest scoring run of any champion duo ever. That's their only way.
The highest scoring duo of any champion ever is Shaq and Kobe and one at fifty nine a game. They're gonna need Booker and Durant to be sixty five a game for them to win the title. Wow, okay, why not? Depth? They have no bench, they barely have a starting five. It's very simple. Why not? And the X factor is Chris Paul's health. If Chris Paul's growing, like even if he's health I don't like him in this series. If
he's not healthy, they're cooked. And the maybe there's news on that since we've been on the air, I haven't seen it. But the soft tissue injury for Chris Paul, you could see that coming a mile away. They're playing him forty minutes a night. In Round one. I kept saying this was a bad idea, and it had it already came to fruition.
Next the Warriors.
The Warriors is not next. The Nuggets are next.
Oh yah, we said.
We're not doing the Warriors of the Lakers. That was your own words. Why can the Nuggets? I'm just telling you why can the Nuggets Jokic continuing to play at an insane level, plus their overall continuity and depth of roster. It's not that they're crazy deep, like they go ten guys, but you don't need to go ten guys. But what they have right now is they have seven guys they deeply trust with a sneaky eighth man in Christian Brown, but Jokic, Murray, Gordon Porter, KCP Uncle Jeff Green, and
Bruce Brown. You trust them all in the playoff in these moments, and Christian Brown's been good, why wouldn't they win the title? Michael Porter Junior, they need him to be a consistent threat from the outside. And he's a weird guy in that he doesn't have many B games. He has an A game and then some C and
D games. And the X factor is the altitude. The X factor for them is a home court advantage when you are playing every other day, that is like any other team in the sport, because guys get there and they don't have the stamina for it. Like if they were to be in the conference finals, they will play either the Lakers or the Warriors. Lebron is old. Can he handle that altitude. Staff runs more than any player
in league history when he doesn't have the ball. Can he handle the altitude with them having home court advantage. It's a legitimate question, and that is the X factor. How well trained their opposition is to deal with that altitude. All right, that was a really good game. Answer your questions in the C block questions and comments. That's next What's Right? All right? Welcome back in What's Right with Think Right? Episode one forty seven. You're supposed to do the welcome back in Scoot, No.
Wen, I do it for the other one that you already took for me.
Oh okay, all right, we'll start that next week. All right, what are the questions that we're gonna read?
And so first question, Yeah, Gabrielle, I think it's Gabriel.
It might be Gabrielle. My guess is a demand. So Gabriel, what is that? Because I think I've seen the metrics on our show. We're about eighty six percent male, fourteen percent female.
All right, Well, he says he's going to Kansas City in a few months, and what are the top three barbecue spots? There are also Happy Birthday?
Oh, Arthur Bryant's Jack Stack and Joe's Kansas City. Those are the top three.
Next, Arthur King said, do the Chiefs trade for d Hot.
No that now that they use the second round pick on a wide receiver. I don't know that they and they don't want to spend the money on it. I don't know, other than Tony, if they have a top flight talent in the receiver room. But they certainly have enough bodies. So right now, the Chiefs wide receiver depth chart is Kadarius Tony, who was a number one pick three years ago for the Giants, sky Moore or I guess Cadarius number one pick two years ago, depends on
how you look at it. Sky Moore was a second round pick for the Chiefs last year, Rashie Rice, who was second round pick for the Chiefs this year. MBS. There's four. They signed Richie James, they like Justin Watson who was on the team, and they have a flyer on Justin Ross. So that and so, no, I don't think they're adding any more receivers. I kind of wanted them to spend an asset in the draft on a tight end because I wanted them to be able to
learn from Kelsey. But they didn't prioritize that, all right, Next.
Okay, so coach Mysstik asked, if there's truly twelve guys for ten spots, which he agrees on, why don't we just make top twelve the measuring stick from here on out?
Listen. I'm fine with that Club Superstar, which we do every year on the show in which is being debuted next week on First Things First, Club Superstar is a very strict twelve person rule, one in, one out A. People can't throw around the superstar wards. Sorry for hitting your shoes, baby. The superstar word to you know, liberally, and it's twelve men and NBA teams are twelve men essentially, So I'm good with that. But other people aren't. People
like top tens. They like big, easy round numbers, and because of that, I listen. The top twelve is inarguable the twelve greatest players in league history are, and we could argue about the order, but they are lebron Kareem Michael Magic, Russell, Wilt Duncan, Kobe Bird, steph Akeem Shack. That's twelve. After that, you then get into another section. The old timers in that section are West Oscar, doctor
j Moses, the kind of bridge. The gap guy in the section is Isaiah Thomas, and the contemporaries in that section are Jannis and Durant. That's seven. They're their own bucket of guys. And then that next group, one of which is a top twenty player. The others are not are Waged, Dirk, Garnet, Mailman, Mike, and if we want to go way back, pettit Coozy that that group of guys,
and it gets complicated from there. Again. I'm sure I left someone else someone out when I was talking about that next bucket of people, but I think for the most part we got it. Is there anybody I said Derk? I think I said Chrome alone. Barkley's in there. The CP three's probably in that next little group. It gets complicated, gets hard a lot of NBA history. What about Luca, Well, Luca, you know, obviously will be there. And Luca, you know, I had twentieth on the fifty graders of the last
fifty years. This year kind of hurt that and he needs to put a few more pelts on the wall. But Luke obviously is gonna be there. Let's just keep moving, go ahead, all right.
Adam asked well, the Warriors shooting and pace where down? Where down? Lebron more than Memphis? Who and the Lakers can guard Curry?
Well, listen all in short and versa order. First of all, Vanderbilt will start on Curry, but they're gonna be switching everything and the nobody really can guard Curry. The point is can you can you affect him enough? Can you take away the other things? Can Anthony Davis make sure Looney doesn't kill you on the offensive? Class the Warriors shooting? So this is so interesting for both the Warriors and the Lakers because it's going to be a culture shock
for both teams. So the Warriors go from playing a team and that's all offense, no defense, to the best defense in basketball that is going an incredibly long, incredibly strong, incredibly physical. Are the Lakers. The Kings are all finesse, so that's gonna be a tough adjustment for them. The Lakers, on the flips, I'd go from playing the worst shooting team in the playoffs Memphis, to the best shooting team in the playoffs and the Warriors. That's gonna be a
culture shot. Who adjusts most to that is key. I also do think while Lebron typically treats game ones as feel out games that tonight's game is a sneak. Gotta have a game for the Lakers because after tonight, it's every other night for the entirety of the series. And tonight the Lakers they're coming off some rest. The Warriors are coming off of seven game war. So I think the Lakers need this win.
Next Fozy a Gene a Gene said, Nick, you said that Giannis losing in the first round can affect him being the best player.
So does Luca not making it into the playoffs affects his high rating? He also lost in the first round twice.
Yeah, so Luca losing in the first round to the Clippers two years in a row, a few years ago, when Luca was absolutely sensational in those series and the Clippers had Kauie and Paul George for the entirety of about those series, that didn't negatively affect him. This year and being the lower rated seed losing of the Clippers, it's very different than being a one person eight but this Yeah, of course, I went into the year saying lucas the second best player in the sport. I no
longer say that can't say anymore. Can't miss the play in and be healthy most of the year, just can't. That's so yeah, he's it did affect his rating absolutely, so there's no question about it. So yeah, I love Luca, but he did not the team. The MAVs were a failure and all effects. So is Lucas still a superstar? Yes? But can I call him one of the two best players in the sport anymore? I cannot doora you were
excellent today? Oh you don't want a rating? No, I don't nine point zero your best one yet, Demonse.
Usually last one was a nine point two.
No it was I thought it was an eight point nine. We're gonna have to check the tape on that. Uh. If it was, then I'll readjust because this was your best performance yet, Demonse. It was great to see you, my son. You're doing great in Los Angeles. We love you, we miss you. Uh. Sorry that you know your Celtics are going to lose the Sixers is gonna be tough for you to deal with, but you know, such as life.
If they'll Demanse, I will tell you this, if we get a Lakers Celtics finals and they're in LA, I will buy you tickets.
I want everyone to know how loud he is.
Right now, okay, well do you where interrupted me? If we get Lakers Celtics Finals, that would mean the Lakers have are at home for games three, four, and six. I will buy you tickets Tomanse to a great bar in Santa Monica to watch the game. I hope you enjoy that. Talk to you guys Thursday for the show What's right? Man? Hey, it's Nick right. Thank you so much for watching. Please do us a favor click subscribe.
It helps my ego and Demanse's got a financial bonus writing on a number of YouTube subscribers, so help him out. And also click the bell. I don't know what the bell does, but they tell me to tell you to click the bell. And audio listeners. People that have commute drives, whatever it is, subscribe to the pot podcast as well wherever you get the podcast. Same shows, just you know, just in your ears instead of through your eyes. All that check it out, Appreciate show.