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Welcome in What driving Nick Great? Episode two twenty two, Demons is Back, Philippony and Parkins are gone. By the way, if you miss Friday's episode, Uh the First and pod Crew it's a podcast you should subscribe to. We're in for de Monse. We also promoted my buddy Danny's book Pipeline the Pros, So if you guys want to check out that episode all those details, that would be good. Also, as you can probably see right here, I've got what appears to be a broken hand. It's actually not a
broken hand. It is a broken arm. This the you know I don't. I don't think I have brittle bones per se. But this left side of my body has. I have broken this hand, I have broken this arm, I have broken this collarbone twice. And I have two skull fractures, both on the left side of my head that part. Where are the skull fractures? I'm not sure, but I just feel better blaming the left side of my body. But I'll be fine. It's no problem.
You know.
I didn't want Demands to be the only person who has to wear a plastic device in order to shower. I felt like that would be feel I'd feel badly for him in that regard. So I got your back there, pal, Uh, So that is something. So he's got a torn achilles, I've got a broken arm. Where the most injured but best sports podcast out there, or we were the best
sports podcast out there. And I will explain or discuss that in the moment, but first I must get to what missed the cut, because here's what is not on today's show. Not on today's show. Chris Middleton returns and Kate Middleton allegedly returns, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelcey opening a steakhouse in Kansas City. That is exciting. I will be there for the opening. And I don't know if you guys saw the news yesterday, but Lebron James and
JJ Reddick are launching a pod. It actually launched today. So this demands before we get to the NFL news. Remember last week how the producers were trying to cajole me, trying to convince me, trying to bait me into continuing an alleged feud with JJ Reddick, And I was like, nah, man, I'm not gonna do that. I feel like that could be bad news for me. It's not something that I want to do. Well, did I know that he had
a pod project coming with Lebron James. I don't know that I knew that, but I know that you know. I have made it clear that I don't love when JJ goes on first take and says this show is dumb because my just feelings on it where then just don't go on the show. But the stuff JJ does, like calling games or actually breaking down you know, film or x'es and o's for an audience that wanted, he's great at that. And now it seems like this pod with Lebron is going to be a lot of that,
and so that that'll be outstanding. And I'm also glad that I didn't, you know, further inflame an alleged media beef. But demanse, where are we starting with today?
So we're starting with Justin Fields.
They obvious, the Steelers obviously got Russell Wilson, and then I guess a week later or so got Justin Fields. Have always been super high on Justin Fields. Love that athleticism, but it seems that they couldn't get anything for him. They I think they got a late round three pick for him. And another story, No, not even day three. Round three could turn into a four go ahead. I apologize even worse. So you've always been super low on Justin Fields? Who do you think is wrong on Justin Fields?
Is it? Is it the fans or is it the league?
So I don't know, Listen, I so this is a somewhat complicated answer. So I don't know that I have been low on Justin Fields. I know that there was speculation last year before the season, man, could Justin Fields be the NFL MVP this year? And I thought, Okay,
that's not going to happen. However, I also understand the allure of Justin Fields, the size, the weight, the four speed, and as I discussed on first things first yesterday, he has had just enough stretches of not good play, as I hold my hand up like mister Claw and Inspector Gadget of not just good play, but exceptional play, that you're like, man, and he's young enough in there, because
he was young when he came into the league. Justin Fields just last week turned twenty five, so he's young enough. And then you're like, man, do you remember And I'll give you the exact games the stretch in twenty twenty two when he just seemed indefensible. He had a stretch in twenty twenty two where the Lion scored twenty nine against Dallas. He had two hundred and ten total yards, not that many, I understand, two touchdowns, no turnovers. I'm sorry,
three touchdowns, no turnovers. The very next week he ran for one eighty, had four total touchdowns. The very next week he ran for one fifty, had four total touchdowns. So in that three game stretch, the Lion scored twenty nine, thirty two and thirty. He had a one toh eight rating. He threw seven touchdowns. He ran for four touchdowns, and he ran for one hundred and thirty yards per game. You're like, man, feels like there's something there on a
terrible Bears team. Then last year, right before he got hurt, weeks four and five, he had a two game stretch where he threw for three thirty five and four touchdowns and then threw for two eighty and four touchdowns. So he had a two game stretch with more than six hundred yards passing, a one to thirty rating, eight touchdowns, one pick the lion or I'm sorry the I might
have said liones earlier. The Bears, you know, averaged thirty five points per game in those two games, and you're like, man, I feel like there is a lot of upside here. So that is what people fall in love with. Now, obviously the NFL has not fallen in love with it, given the fact that he was able to be had for a sixth round pick that can turn into at best a fourth round pick. Now, part of that is
inexplicable to me in this regard. The Minnesota Vikings just said Sam Darnold ten million bucks to come play quarterback for US ten million. Justin's gonna make three point two. The Raiders just said Gardner Minshew twenty five million for two years, come play quarterback for US. That doesn't makes sense to me, Okay, I would rather take the shot on Justin Fields. I do understand though, why teams are afraid of the lack of consistency and so does the
trade market always make sense? Does it make a lot of sense that trade laks.
Like it's the Bears.
I think that with a lot of other teams it'd be a different look.
So I think that's why the Bears, right, So I think Demonsey, that's why the Bears tried to do him a somewhat of a solid and send him to a place he might actually be able to start. So I know they're saying Russ is the starter, and I bet Russ will be the Week one starter, but I highly
doubt Russ is the Week eight starter. So I think that now I do not buy at all that the Bears were offered a second or a third round pick for him and instead to do him a solid they try him for a sixth I do buy that they were maybe offered a fifth round pick by a team that he wouldn't like. Let's as a for instance, I use this example on TV S or I use it again. Let's just say we know the Bills wanted to back up quarterback because they try they signed Mitch Trubisky in
free agency. Let's say the Bills called up Chicago and said, we'll give you a fifth round pick for Justin Fields. Do I think that the Bears might have said, you know what, send him in to Buffalo where he has no chance of ever playing. We're gonna and are you as opposed to sending him to Pittsburgh where he could actually compete. Yeah, we will take a slightly worse return in that regard. But if someone had offered a second
or a third, the Bears I believe would have taken it. Now, maybe someone offered a second or a third months ago and the Bears waited because they thought they could get better and they overestimated the market. But here is the the reason the Bears would feel an obligation to do right by Fields is here was kind of his timeline demonse year one, Justin you're not gonna start, You're not
gonna play. Andy Dalton's the guy take a year mahomes path to learn from the veteran Justin Bields is starting by week three, so they throw him into the fire. Year two, we are the Bears intentionally wanted to be the worst team in the league. Took all they traded away Roquan Smith, they tore it all down, took all their dead cap in one lump because they were trying to rebuild, which I understand. But he did not have an NFL team around him. Year three is where he
has the least. They did trade for DJ Moore, they did get him the right tackle you know in the draft. They they did add some pieces, but that's also where you saw some lashes, so I don't think they necessarily did right by him. I also don't think he's by any means proven that he's even a good NFL plasition right.
What he has proven, demonse is if it were to click in for him, he has an incredibly high ceiling, but the league's pretty clearly said we value a higher floor rather than the potential upside of a high ceiling. But I think he's gonna end up being the Steelers starting quarterback. I think that Russell start in the beginning of the year. Russ will be Russ and then Fields will take over all right, let's go on to Caleb.
Go ahead. Yeah, So obviously, now that the Bears have traded away.
Justin Fields, it's all but obvious that just I mean Caleb Williams is going to be the starting quarterback and the first pick of the draft this year.
Yep.
So if he averages just two hundred and twenty six yards a game, he will have the highest quarterback passing every of any Bears quarterback ever? Are you willing to say that he will be the greatest Chicago Chicago Bear quarterback of all time?
Right now?
Well, if we say all times, Sid Luckman seventy years ago was a great Luckman. But if we're talking Super Bowl era, who does Caleb have to beat to be the best Bears quarterback of the Super Bowl era? The answer is Jay Cutler. So yes, I'm willing to say Caleb's going to be the best quarterback they've had in the Super Bowl era. The Bears have never had Demanse a four thousand yard passer. They have never had someone
throw for thirty touchdowns. Daniels asking me, will he be will after year one he already be the greatest Bears quarterback ever?
I don't know.
I don't think. I don't know if that's really possible to because Cutler was fine a Jim McMahon, I guess the quarterback when they won a super Bowl. Rex Grossman took him to a super Bowl. Like, he's not gonna do those things in year one. I do think that they're gonna be a playoff team. Think about it like this, Demonse.
The Bears won seven games last year. Yeah, if you get the right guy as the number one pick of the draft at quarterback, don't we normally anticipate that guy's gonna be worth three or four wins, that you're gonna go from being two and fifteen to six and eleven something like that. But the Bears won seven games last year. They're drafting with Carolina's pick, and so he doesn't have to have the year CJ. Stroud had. CJ. Stroud was
worth like eight more wins. He doesn't have to do that for this Bears team, a Bears team that it should be noted after they added Montese Sweat, they had a top ten defense and they went five to four. They have DJ Moore, they traded for Keenan Allen. They added DeAndre Swift with the ninth pick of the draft.
They are either gonna be able to add Roma Dunsay, the number three receiver, Brock Bowers, the best tight end in a couple drafts, or the second best offensive linemen on their board after Joe Alt, or the best or second best defensive player in this draft. Because here is a weird thing about this draft that we'll talk about more as we get closer to draft season. If people are correct that four quarterbacks are gonna go in the top ten. All right, so you've got Caleb Drake Jaden
and everyone loves JJ McCarthy. Now people think they might go one through four and certainly be in the top ten. So that's four top ten picks at quarterback. Obviously, Marvin Harrison Junior and Malik Neighbors are going to go in the top ten. That's two receivers. Joe Alt, the franchise left tackle for the uh he was with the Notre Dame last year, he's going to go in the top ten.
So now we're at seven. People think Roma Doonza is likely to go in the top ten and Brock Bowers the tight end might so here and that's with only one offensive lineman. So here's why I mention.
All of that.
A team picking tenth, which right now is the Jets, and they probably wouldn't do this, but just follow me. You might be able to get the single best defensive player in the entire draft with the ninth, tenth, eleventh pick of the draft. It's a very unique situation. If you want defense, you might be able to get the best defensive player in the whole draft. You know, at pick you might be able to get the second best
defensive player in the draft that picked twelve. So it's a unique spot because it's such a wide receiver, tackle and quarterback heavy draft. All right, Let's go to.
The Cowboys' focused All right, So the Cowboys have lost a lot of key pieces this offseason and they've added nothing. You've always been super high on the Cowboys and think that they're going to be Super Bowl contenders next year, I assume, but they seem to have like how are they in any different position than the Bills are right now?
So I'm glad you bring up the Bills, because the Bills lost their entire starting second secondary Leonard Floyd. There's number two wide receiver. The Cowboys cut Michael Gallup and lost be oddish Drrence Armstrong, and we can say they lost Tyron Smith, but they planned to lose time Smith. That's why they drafted Tyler Smith in the first round to take over for him a couple of years ago. So I'm not going to act as if the Cowboys
have had a brilliant offseason. But let's talk about other teams in their general vicinity, teams that were playoff teams but didn't make the Super Bowl, and the offseasons they had. So I think the Bills had a worse offseason. The Dolphins, who lost their best defensive player, their second best front seven defensive player, who lost a right guard for one hundred million dollars he left to go to Carolina. I think the Dolphins had a worse offseason. Go over to
the NFC the Rams. I like the Rams a lot. The best player on their whole team retired, will get to him in a moment. I think that's a worse offseason. The Eagles have a glaring need of how awful their pass defense was and their overall defense was last year. They addressed it by signing a running back. So I don't think the Cowboys had a great offseason, but I think that they had kind of a what I would call median offseason, meaning they didn't add much, but they
also didn't lose that much. Yes, some teams added a lot, typically the teams that added a lot are bad teams, and some teams lost a ton. Typically those are teams like the Buffalo or Miami that took their shot and missed. And here's the one other thing I'll say about Dallas.
People that are at this point rightfully skeptical about the Cowboys, it's because they don't trust McCarthy and Dak in the playoffs totally understand that what off season move could they have made that would have made those people be like, now, I trust McCarthy and Dak in the playoffs structure? No, So he opened up five million dollars of cap space for him so they could have a little more free agency flexibility. Now, if you want to crush I'm I'm
fine with folks wanting to crush the Cowboys. I would just say wait on that, because your opportunity to crush the Cowboys is gonna come in the next couple months when Dak Prescott gets a three year, ninety five percent guaranteed one hundred and eighty million dollar contract extension paying him sixty million a year. That's when the Cowboys should be susceptible to criticism, and folks might be like, oh
my god, Nick, that's a crazy contract for Dak. It is, but we live in a world where Kirk Cousins, who is in the exact same tier as Dak Prescott, can be five years older than Dak, pop his achilles and get because he hit free agency the same amount per year as Patrick Mahomes gets forty five million bucks with one hundred million guaranteed, and if they if Dak were to not sign an extension, he hits unrestricted free agency.
So he's got the Cowboys.
I think Kirk Cousins do better with the Cowboys than Dak would do with the with the Vikings.
Well maybe, but here's the thing that I will say about that. The entire Kirk Cousins criticism is lack of big game and playoff success. Kirk Cousins won one playoffs game ever, and well, no, I mean that's also Dak's criticism is lack of big game and playoff success. My point is their numbers are very similar and their critique is very similar, and Kirk is five years older and coming off a blown or four years older and coming off of blown achilles, and he's still got a great deal.
That's why the Cowboys are so nervous about the idea of Dak hitting free agency and he's gonna get this massive new contract. But the Cowboys have to sign Micah Parsons to what will be the rich defensive player contract ever. They have to sign Ceedee Lamb, so what it will be one of the four or three richest wide receiver contracts ever, and they have to extend Dak. That's why you can say they put themselves in a bad position.
But I'm not gonna kill him for not spending huge in free agency on Derrick Henry or Saquan or those types of guys when I don't think that would substantially change their destiny, so to speak.
All right, next, All right, Aaron Donald's retired after ten years of terrorizing quarterbacks, so he's out of the league now. I actually saw a funny clip of him for the first time of him pressing Geno Smith and him screaming, oh my god, like a.
Little oh yeah, yeah, there is.
But now that he's gone, could you see Chris Jones reclaiming that throne as the most dominant defender.
Well, listen, I think Chris Jones was better than Aaron Donald last year, and as great as Aaron Donald was, I think that Chris Jones had already I think taken as of the last two years, because Donald was injured to somewhat two years ago, and then last year as the best d tackle in the NFL now most dominant defender. TJ Watt and Miles Garrett have something to say about that. But I do want to put Aaron Donald's career into context, all right, So and let me pull up this list
it PROS Football Reference. I just want to get the exact list, right. I had it the other day here, Okay, got it. Aaron Donald, his final year at Pitt Demonse, won every collegiate award an NFL a college defensive player can win other than the Heisman. He then walks into the league and his first year wins Defensive Rookie of the Year and is a Pro Bowler. He then plays nine more seasons. In those nine seasons, he is first team All Pro eight times. The one time he wasn't
was when he got hurt. He won Defensive Player of the year. Three of those nine seasons he came in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year voting four other times, so seven of his nine seasons post rookie year, he either was named best defensive player of any position in the league or you know, came in top five in the voting. Seven of those nine years. He also was the best player on a team that lost to Super Bowl but held the Patriots to thirteen
points in the loss. He then was the best player on a team that won a Super Bowl and on the final play of that Super Bowl hit Joe Burrow to win them their championship. What does eight first Team All Pro It means you were on this list of guys in the Super Bowl era. Jerry Rice has ten, Anthony Munos has nine, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith, and Aaron Donald have eight. That is the complete list of the most active first team All pros are not
active all time first team All pros. If you are making a mount rushmore of defensive players in the NFL, it is Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Dion Sanders, and Aaron Donald. He was that type of player that dominant of a player and was an unbelievable postseason performer and packed as much into a ten year career as one could possibly imagine. I mean, for the context on having eight First Team All Pros in ten years, I mentioned those other guys. Jerry Rice has ten First Team All Pros he played
he played twenty years. Okay, so Anthony Munos has nine First Team All Pros he played I want to get this right. Thirteen years pretty unbelievable by him. Reggie White has eight First Team All Pros he played fifteen years. Lawrence Taylor also didn't play for incredibly long. He has eight first Team All Pros he played for thirteen years. And Bruce Smith has eight first Team All Pros he played for nineteen years. Aaron Donald did it in eight.
Yeah, I was gonna ask the average career span, so he had a shorter one and still got there.
Well, I mean, compared to that, I think ten years is ten years is a great NFL career. Most Hall of Fame players play longer. But he never really fell off like last year. At worst. At worst, he was the third best d tackle in football, and a lot of people would argue he was the best. And so he's an all time legend and one of the only players ever that is impossible to overrate. All right, quick break right back, talk a little hoops, and play a
game of Nick Stradamis What's right? All right, welcome back in What's Driving the Great Episode two twenty two. Before we get to Nick stra Damas, there's a couple of NBA questions about last night and about moving forward. You've got for me to Monsey, So go ahead.
Yeah, so last night the two crazy dunks. First we got Anthony Edwards or Jalen Johnson did have you? Did you see them last night?
Yeah? I did, so they were showing you the Anthony Edwards and then the Jalen Johnson really putting Austin Reeves in a spot.
Yeah.
So I want to be very clear here, Jalen Johnson's dunk was awesome and it's a brutal spot for Austin Reeves. It is not in the same stratosphere as Anthony Edwards is dunk. Anthony Edwards is Dunk is one of the best dunks of the last decade. And Anthony Edwards now in the last week Demons has the block of the year and the dunk of the year. Yeah, and he I mean, his raw, primal athleticism is at this point maybe unmatched by anybody in the league. He is so much much fun man.
Yeah, now he's he's a star.
The Jalen Johnson that was the first points of the game though, that was crazy.
I mean yeah, and it's a brutal again, it's a brutal It was also the highlight of the night for the Hawks, but it was. It's a brutal spot for Austin Reeves. But in my opinion, it is not in the same stratosphere as I mentioned as the Anthony Edwards sunk.
All right, next, all right, so you said Luca has a chance to be a top offensive player of all time, Well, Wimby is arguably already the best defensive player in basketball on a year or in his first year.
Sorry, since night they were gonna.
Face off, who do you see having a lasting impact on the NBA when it's all said and done.
The bigger impact. I mean, I'm gonna stick. I'm gonna stick with Luca, but I I will say Wimby has exceeded my expectations. Wimby does there. Wimby does have a case for defensive Player of the Year. This year, And I said, if you remember that early on that I thought he would instantly be an excellent defender, but that he would struggle offensively as a rookie. He hasn't. He's averaging twenty one points a game on forty seven percent
from the field and thirty three percent from three. Like, that's fine, that's more than fine, eighty percent from the foul line, and he's leading the league in blocks by a mile. He has been and his impact defensively, Demons is understated by the numbers because of the number of shots people don't take because of you know, kind of fear.
Of him impacting.
UNA ask saw that he already has more blocks than eighty four percent of NBA players.
You mean for his career. Okay, well that's yeah, I mean that's a mean, that's that sounds impressive, But then you realize Demond's.
A back and there's a certain amount of people play in the games. A lot of those players are on the bench, not even on the court.
I get it right, exactly the but no, I mean, he's the I couldn't vote him Defensive Player of the Year this year because his his it's the Spurs are not a great defensive team. And it's not so much about their win loss record as much as it is if you're gonna be Defensive Player of the Year, I need your team to at least be a good defense. And Rudy Gobert, as much as my criticisms as I've had of Gobert, Rudy Gobert, he is the anchor of
far and away the best defense in basketball. And so I think this is Gobert's award, and he'll it'll be the fourth time he's won it, which I think will tie him with Ben Wallace and to kim Beck. So shout out to Gobar in that regard. But Wimby is having a phenomenal year. I don't think we should understate the year Lucas having. I mean, Luca is quietly if such a thing exists, averaging thirty four points, nine rebounds, ten assists on fifty percent from the field. So he is.
His ability to dominate the game offensively right now is matched by all really no one other than Jokic, and Jokic does it in a different way Luca. To me, Luca's a better bet for durability. An offense is more valuable than defense. But Wimby is. Wimby is having as impressive of a rookie season as any player in the last fifteen years.
Yeah, you said offense is more valuable than defense, But like, yeah, Wimby also it's not like he played he's not decent at offense as well.
Right when you tie it in, don't.
No, that's a no. You're one hundred correct on that. He's not Ben Wallace. He is right now looking like he's going to be an excellent offensive player as well. Uh. And so maybe I think a lot of people right now would say he's a better bet than Luca. I will not say that yet, in part because we have also seen Luca be one of the most deadly and
consistent playoff performers of his era. The guy's thirty three to nine to eight averages for his playoff career, and he's been the underdog in every series he's ever played in the postseason, every single one. The MAVs have been the underdog his first year in the playoffs against the Clippers, his second year in the playoffs against the Clippers, and then his third year in the playoffs. They're the underdog against the Jazz than the underdog against the Suns, the
one seed in the underdog against the Warriors. All right, time for Nick Straramis.
As the prophecy foretold, he hath returned. Some call him the third eye of third lungs. Others call him the Messiah of the money line. Call him what you will. We call them Nixtra Damis, the Southsayer of sports.
All right, a star, I mean that was really well done.
I like that. I think you had to work myself up.
Since the All Star break, the referees have been been letting players play. The tea leaves are saying a ticki tack fouls, fouls, famine is coming, Nick sure damis or mysterious forces trying to influence how the NBA is officiating.
I mean, no, it's not mysterious, uh them, it's very obvious.
It's awesome that it's great.
And anyone complaining about this, like why would they change it mid season? Because it was awful, because it was a bad product because guys would kind of diagonally meander into the lane and then just throw their bodies up and get a foul call. And now they are they fixed it. I mean Ethan Strauss has written a few articles about this, and the data is in. In January, the average over under for an NBA game was two hundred and thirty two points. Yesterday, like set Vegas, over
under was set at two thirty two. Yesterday's games the average over under was two hundred and eighteen points, a fourteen point drop in a couple months because the NBA the refs started letting people defend. Again, it's better for the sport, it's more fair. And so I've got no So, I don't think they're trying to put their finger on the scale of who wins. I do think they are trying to put their finger on the scale of making
sure their game is watchable. And it was that when we had that month where guys would score sixty and people weren't that surprised by it, we knew we had lost the plot a bit.
All right, next, all right, the play in may include the Lakers, Warriors, Sons, Mavericks, Heat and seventy six ers.
It's crazy. You've read the Tarrytt cards and no once in the.
Playoffs, anybody hold on terror that that word is Tarot cards. Those are those cards. Your mom is no, your mom's somewhat into uh where I shouldn't say she's somewhat into, but she doesn't dismiss them the way I think some would.
Where like oh my god with an extra R. Usually is taro. I'm so confused.
I don't even know what works it is. I've never heard of that. I know of the word carrot, but no the tea. The second T is silent. I've never heard tarott. Maybe are you thinking turret like a turret gun? I don't know, but doesn't matter.
Uh.
Tarot cards are the cards that like you like someone you know. A psychic pulls them and it's like, oh no, you.
Got really sad. I thinking that it was?
So what have I said on Real Quick Demanse? What have I? I've said this on the show before and I will say it again. I learned this from Dragonfly Jones and on Twitter, and he is correct. People mispronouncing words should not be mucked because it means they learned the word by reading it rather than hearing it. If you if you if the first time you learn a word is because you read it in a book or you've read it before, you just pronounced it. However, it's
how where your brain says it. If you're just you know, mimicking what you've heard other people say, So I act I've got your back on that. But now back to the question about the tarot cards, because we've got a bit of a sidebar there. You were asking me about which teams they could see going on a playoff run.
Exactly, all these kind of scary teams are going to be in the play in and they could all be sneaky, dangerous.
But nick s drums, which play in team do you foresee going on a run?
All right, so let's start in the East. I think Philly and Miami are totally safe in that even if they both end up in the play in, I trust those teams' abilities to navigate the play in. They'd have to deal with Chicago, Atlanta, Indiana who's falling apart, Orlando, which maybe could fall down but probably won't. I think those teams will be fine. And listen, you guys know how much respect I have for the Heat and Philly. If Embiid's gonna come back two weeks before the playoffs,
maybe you know, super glass half full. The hope is that he actually has more in the tank for the playoffs because he had this you know, month plus off the West is a very different story. Okay, the West you have right now, you could argue, so, who's the best player in the Western Conference. It's Nikoli Jokich obviously, right. Okay, if you want to say the second best player in the conference is Shay fine, I don't know that I totally buy that, but he's got a very strong argument
after that, in some order or another. You have Luca, you have bron you have Steph, you have Kevin Durant, you have Devin Booker, you have Kyrie, you have Anthony Davis. And mixed in with them are Kawhi and Anthony Edwards. Right, So seven of the nine players basically three through eleven in the West are in the play in bracket. Yeah, and unless the Kings fall down, there at least two of them are going home before the playoffs start. The team that I believe the least in is Golden State.
The team I believe the next least in is Phoenix. But if right now the nine to ten is Lakers Golden State, so you know one of them is guaranteed to go home, maybe both of them eventually. And so a couple of years back, right, a couple of years back, the Lakers Warriors were the seven. The Lakers beat him when Lebron hit that three when he got.
Picked in the eye.
And then the next round, the next play in game, the Warriors played the Grizzlies, and the Grizzlies beat them and sent them home. And that was kind of like the Grizzlies and Jaws coming out, if I'm being honest, the NBA probably would really like if New Orleans and Sacramento fell apart. Now New Orleans was, Zion's playing really well lately, so it's not likely, and they've got a
big lead on the field. Uh. And I like Fox and I like Zion, But I think the NBA will be bummed if either Steph, lebron kd or Luca if two of the four are not in the actual postseason. All right, do we've got one more? Yeah, let's go. Let's let's let's.
Keep its Domisdamas may have predicted the Great Fire of Lon and the Atomic Age, but you predicted some equally devastating disasters like the Chargers playoff collapse to the Prints in the Saints cap situation. Truly horrifying events. Nick Sir Damas, which team's early playoff demise do you predict?
All right, do.
You have a guess here? It seemed like you were gonna say something.
But I'd say the Chargers. I mean, oh no, no, no, they're.
They're talking about the NBA. You're fine, Are you gonna?
Are you gonna say the Celtics.
No, I don't think they would be early. I'm talking round one upset. I think obviously the Clippers are ripe for an upset obviously always, and I I could see okay S getting sent home, particularly if they draw the Lakers in the Lakers have owned them and the size and length of the Lakers has given them real trouble. So, Okac, who's the one seed right now? And Shay has been unbelievable, and I like Jalen Williams, and Chet's been really good.
I could see that going sideways on them. And so if I don't think there would be massive upsets out east, So those are the ones that I that I would imagine. All right, let's do this. Let's take a quick break and then do a tiny bit of March madness. We'll do that next quick break right back?
What's right?
All right? Welcome back in What's Driving the Great? Episode two, twenty two. Not gonna be able to do listener questions today because this show, if you're watching it, spoiler alert, it's not live the way our shows normally are. We recorded it about an hour ago and now you're seeing it. So to Monsey, let's ask a couple of March Madness questions then get out of here.
Yeah.
So maybe for the first time ever, the women's n CUAA Tournament is getting more notoriety than the men's. So obviously Caitlin Clark and those big stars over there, better teams and more exciting storylines. I'm sorry, Dix Thomas, which tournament do you fortel being better?
The answer is the women's tournament. I mean, the women's tournament has stars. You've got South Carolina Don Staley, the coach is a star, their massive favorites. They also are kind of villains at this point. LSU with Angel Reese obviously the biggest star in all of college sports. IOW with Caitlin Clark. You then usc Juju Watkins, who is darn it, it's turnament.
I've seen some clips are no.
I was gonna say, but you need next year. You need to go to a game next year. I'll get you. I can't imagine they're that expensive. I'll get you good seats to a USC win men's game. I want you to go see Juju and so just in college basketball, on the men's side, it's just no stars. And so listen the men's tournament. I'll be very clear here, the early rounds the men's tournament will be better. It will be a higher level of play because the women's game is not yet deep enough for there to be those
shocking upsets. The best teams in the early rounds of the women's NCAA tournament are really gonna dominate the lower seats. But the men's tournament, this, you know, this coming weekend is going to be phenomenal. But once we get to the sweet sixteen, I'm way more interested, way more interested on the women's side of things.
All right, Next, March Madness is days away, and everybody's busy making braggets except for you. Are you you afraid that the non believers will win if your so saying powers failed to produce a perfect bracket. Mike stradamis, do you see a March Madness bracket in your future?
Probably not. I'll be honest with you. I just I am not locked in to the men's college basketball game, and so I and I'm not gonna gamble on it. And I'm just not that you know what I mean. I could fill one out, just say I filled one out, but my heart wouldn't be in it. I'm too busy sending mock drafts to Brett Beach, which you guys can laugh at me about, but I literally am doing that on a weekly basis.
I am.
I'm still like, I still spend at least ten minutes a day when I'm scrolling Twitter, I come across some random Chief super Bowl highlight and I just watch it. I'm just still in the after goal of the Super Bowl, plus prepping for the NBA playoffs, and I'm just being
transparent more intrigued by the women's tournament this year. I've watched more women's college ball this year than men's college basketball, and so yeah, I'll be a party pooper is the wrong word, but I just I understand how much people love it, and I love watching the tournament. But I'm not gonna act like I have strong, you know, feelings or intuition on it when I don't. All right, great job, demand, great job, everybody appreciate all the hard work everyone did
to make sure this gets on the air. I'm on with Colin today. First things first at three o'clock, Demanse, great work, and we will talk to you all later. Hey, it's Nicker right. Thank you so much for watching. Please do us a favorite, click subscribe. It helps my ego and Demansey's got a financial bonus writing on a number of YouTube subscribers will help him out. And also click the bell. I don't know what the bell does, and they tell me to tell you to twist the bells
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