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Welcome in What's Right with Nick RT Episode two thirty six. If you're listening on Spotify or iTunes journey of your podcast platforms, we greatly appreciate that please subscribe to the podcast. I basically treat this more like a YouTube show than a podcast, so I don't, actually, you know, send out the link to the podcast as often as I should, So please subscribe to the podcast if you're not already. If you're watching us live on YouTube this Thursday morning,
we appreciate that. I'll try to get more of your questions and comments today than I was able to on Tuesday, and also the YouTube page still growing. Remember to hit the bells so you know when we go live subscribe to it. We're up over one hundred and fifty thousand, trying to get to two hundred thousand. It helps us maybe get Demonse gets to another plaquet two hundred thousand.
I don't know. I think there's.
Probably not another plaque coming until a million. Demanse look great, love the sweatshirt.
How are you?
Thank you, Sarah. I'm good, pretty good. Can't complain. How you doing.
I'm doing well. So I have funny thing that Demonse doesn't know. Last night, during halftime of the Knicks game, It's like it's halftime. I've been on a bit of a fortnight kick lately. I'm like, I think I have just enough time during halftime to get a quick four night game in in my office and I'll know when the game's angs. I'll put it on the upper TVs and like one minute after logging on, I get a
little alert, says DeMont. Your friend demands a bird is I'm like, I wonder if he did the same thing. I'm like, I wonder if he was like, all right, halftime, let me get a little call of duty. I mean, you're not a Fortnite guy. You're more of a call of duty guy. But I even thought.
Of texting you.
Past halftime the.
Yeah and well right, Well, the thing is Fortnite can be real fast, you can get the you can get killed quickly.
Whatever. Good to see you. We have a ton to do.
We have a new three time MVP h Jalen Brunson. The legend just grows. We'll get into all of that. Uh, but first, here's what missed the cut. What missed the cut for today's show is Charles Barkley says New York City is overrated. However, he does love the as he calls it, street meat. I'll tell you when I first
before I moved to New York. When I first I did an internship for ESPN Radio in New York City one summer of college, and coming from the Midwest, the fact that I could just walk down the street and get a hot dog or a kebab or a kinish was one of my absolute favorite things about the city. So I get white people who don't live here love the food carts and just the hot you know, fresh is maybe not the right word, but any food that you are eating seconds after it was prepared is delicious.
That's like the entire key to Benni, Hannah and Habachi. Like, I don't know that that is as great as it tastes in any setting other than moments after it's on the grill you're eating it. Travis Kelsey's gonna appear in a new horror series, and there's officially an Office spin off in the work. I think I'd love the Office, but I've never seen a single episode of the English version or the American version. All right, demanse, let's get
to the MVP news. Then we'll get to the playoff MVP Jalen Brunson.
So, yeah, Jokers won his third MVP in four years. So you started off off Jokich's bandwagon, then you jumped on, and then it seems like you've jumped off after his two bad games to Minnesota. And you said that you would have voted Luca this year. So does that mean in your eyes that Joker should be a zero time MVP.
No.
So here's the So.
If you look at how I say I would have voted each of the last four years, it would appear that I would have never voted for Joker, because what I have said on TV is that CP three was my MVP three years ago, Luca was my MVP two years ago, Embiid was my MVP last year, and Luca was my MVP this year. But had any of those previous MVPs gone the way I thought they should have,
then my future MVP feelings would have changed. And I know to some people that seems against the rules, like no, it's this season in a vacuum only, but that is simply not how it's ever been done. So if I, if I were able to change history, so to speak, the last four MVPs would have been Chris Paul, Luca, Joker, Joker. So I one of the reasons that I did not think, and Embiid would be the one, you know, without a
chair unfortunately. But the the reason that I did not think Joker should have been the MVP last year was because of the president about guy winning three in a row, particularly who had at that point in time had done nothing. However, if coming off last year where he was the dominant postseason force he was, and he had only had one MVP to his name up to that point and Luca already had one, then this year, I probably would have vote voting voting voted for Joker. But here is what
I'm going to say about Joker and winning his third MVP. Okay, the guys with two Giannis, Steph Duncan, Nash, Malone, Pettitt, He's now ascended past them. He is in this group. Here are the guys with three, Him, Magic, Larry, and Moses. The guys with four Wilton Lebron, the guys with five Russell and Michael, and the only guy with six. So I'm okay with that. He right now is a very similar career of Moses, by the way, three MVPs Moses went to two finals, one to one championship. But we
must also then reevaluate as we get new information. We are going to talk about Jalen Brunson in a moment. If your feelings on Jalen Brunson are the same today as they were a month ago, well then why even have the games? If what he has done in this postseason does not allow you to reevaluate and upgrade how great of a player you think he is, then what are the point of the games that works in both directions?
And if all of a sudden, when Joker for the first time in a few years, is playing a fifty plus win, well built, healthy team in the playoffs, is struggling mightily. If that doesn't then allow you to reevaluate certain assumptions we had about where he's ending in the pantheon, then why have the games? Because going into this postseason, the question with Joker was fairly and I was having it. Is he going to run down Shack? Is he going
to end this postseason already ahead of a team? Could he catch Bird though in the all time historical pantheon? That's what and by the way, still is available to him if they turn this around and win the championship. But the flip side to that coin is if they get rolled in round two by a twenty two year old and by a guy who, previous to this moment has always been considered a bad postseason performer, then we must ask the question, did we anoint him ahead of Yannis prematurely.
Put the resume side?
Well?
Right, Well, then then we recalibrate again, right, exactly right. But we had the conversation around Jokic was head and shoulders clear best player in the league. That is coming into some question. I think because of what Ant and Shay are doing to at least in question and the guy of his era hands down. If you're Yannis, you're like, well, if they get rolled this round, can we have the discussion? He has three MVPs, now I have two. I have a defensive.
Player of the Year award.
Though he has one legendary postseason run, I have one legendary postseason run that arguably was not only as good, but maybe better. Why are we sure he is the alpha of this mini era?
That thing?
Those questions come into play, just like for Yannis when he won his title with a fifty piece in Game six and at that point had two MVPs, a into Player of the Year and look totally unstoppable. The conversations we were having were could this guy end up being one of the five greatest players of all time?
But since then.
He hasn't been out of Round two and he has back to back Round one exits, so you recalibrate, that is why. And this is the Jokic folks that have gotten mad at me in the past when they're like, you know, killed me for saying I needed to see him do it on a postseason run and acted like that was an unfair standard. It's the standard. It's always
been the standard. And now again, if we are just being historically fair, we then also let's just assume, not even assume, let's just say for the sake of argument, that minnesot Of sweeps them. Okay, we now have some really uncomfortable lists. You would have fewest wins in a playoffs in a season you won MVP. Here would be the full list of guys who have four or less. Michael Jordan once, Magic Johnson once, Tim Duncan wants, Dirk once,
Russell Westbrook once, Nikola Jokic three times. He already is tied with Westbrook for fewest playoff wins in the season you won an MVP with one.
Okay, I have another question.
The list of last forty years guy who got swept out of the playoffs in the season he won league MVP. That list right now is two names long, Magic Johnson, and there's a semi asterisk on that little by his name there. Because he got swept in the finals when he got hurt five minutes into Game three and did not play the rest of that game or the next game, it still counts as him getting swept they were going for a third straight title and the Pistons beat him,
swept him in the finals, but he got hurt. The only other name on that list already is Joker's a couple games away from that happening again, Does that mean he's not neck and neck with Moses Malone for let me do the greatest centers of all time? What's that list?
So for the am I leaving anyone out? Yeah? Uh?
Neck and neck with Moses Malone for the sixth greatest center ever. No, he's already established that. But does that set him back on cracking that top five greatest sinners ever? Kareem Russell Wilt a team shack. Yeah, of course it does.
That.
These games matter in every direction. They turn Anthony Edwards into maybe the face of the league. They make Jalen Brunson a folk hero in a legend right. They make you recalibrate what the hell you're going to do if you're the Phoenix Suns. That's what this postseason is and for Joker and I'm listen, i am not the.
A big thing that has.
Gone around this week on the internet is Wow, the Nuggets with Joker have never beaten a.
Fifty win team in the playoffs.
I have not proliferated that because I actually don't am not that interested in that because I watched them last year and I think they were going to Like, he shouldn't be penalized for the fact that Miami clipped Boston in the conference finals and he didn't get an opportunity to beat Boston because they would have rolled Boston. That Nuggets team last year was a well oiled, healthy juggernaut,
and I give him full credit for that. So I'm not I am not at all being like, oh, last year's championship, what is it?
That's not how I feel.
I am saying it is not unfair to hold the guy who just became one, two, three four, the ninth player in league history to be named the MVP of the league three or more times, to a high standard. And that's what I'm going to hold him to. The standard is the standard. It was not set by me. It was set by history. And I just spent a week hearing about how Lebron James missed box outs or why Darvin Ham doesn't have a job. Because the standards the standard for Lebron even in year twenty one, age
thirty nine, be better, find a way. Okay, peak of your powers. Third MVP in four years. These kids in Minnesota are making you look slow, are making you look like you.
Don't have answers.
And so does that change how I feel about him historically?
No?
Does it pump the brakes on where he was being elevated to historically? Of course it has to. And so That's where I'm at on this. I don't think Demonse. I know you think I'm a bit of a hater on this. That's okay, tell like you just heard me go for fifteen minutes, your thoughts on anything or everything I just said.
I wonder how Daniel feels about this.
But Daniel, can I tell you real quick before you go, Here's how I think Daniel feels. I don't think Daniel actually right now, maybe I'm wrong, has the luxury of caring about the Jokis historic debate. He's right now in the midst of a war for what he thought was going to be a dynastic run he through hell or high water. Daniel just needs the Nuggets to find a way to win tomorrow night, and they win tomorrow night,
and he is all the way back. Like but right now he has massive unease about where we're at because here and sorry, I asked your thoughts, and now I'm gonna talk again.
But then I'll get your talk.
Because here's the other uncomfortable thing about if not if they lose this series, but if Denver gets swept. If Denver gets swept, do they make a knee jerk change. Do they try to retool something or do they just say next year will be different. I don't know what the right answer would be, But there's a world that exists. This is what is so again interesting about the playoffs. The Lakers, I think for a few days were like, well, I know we lost in five, but those games were close.
Two came down to buzzer beaters, and the Nuggets are gonna win the whole thing, so you know, we might end up beating Maybe we were the third best team in the league, right, But then now the Nuggets are getting annihilated.
Yeah, there's a.
World that exists where the Timberwolves sweep the Nuggets. The Timberwolves then lose to the winner of OKC Dallas, and that team then loses to Boston. And if you're Denver, you're like, wait a minute, the team that beat US got beat by a team that then got beat How close were we that? Right?
Like, it's now if the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets in six and then go on to win the championship, you feel differently. That's where all of this stuff matters.
But god, that's how that's how I feel about it. I think that I think the Timberwolves are gonna take it pretty far. And I hate saying that because they're gonna end up dealing with the Celtics. But I think when you look back at it, it'll just be a story of like this, this dominant Timberwolves team and not the Denver choke job. I think that the Timberwolves are just legit, and I think that if they keep that team together even next year, I think you'll still see
that it's a very real team. I mean, they've been doing everything basically without Rigo Bert. I get it was only it's only been two games, but but yeah, dude, I think that I think the team's just scary. It's a different beast.
Well, so here is So here's another thing I love about the NBA playoffs. No, I'm not saying anything you're saying is wrong, but the NBA playoffs the way it works is when your team, or when a team wins a single game, let alone what Minnesota's done where they haven't lost yet, you feel after the game like, I don't think they're ever gonna lose again. I not just this year but next year either, like why could.
Anyone beat them?
And then right and then whenever your team loses a game, you're like, I mean this team is just broken, like I don't know what and so it's a it, but just the.
Fashion in which they've done this, I mean it's it's two games and the second game was worse than the first one. They're in Denver, they haven't lost yet.
Out go bear no correct all that's all.
That's very fair, all right? Do you want to well, just real quick, do you think anything said about the Jokic is there anything else you want to talk about it? That was unfair for you to move on to Jalen Brunson.
I do.
I do think you're slightly unfair to Jokic. I mean, especially if you was given the fact that the guys that you said should have gotten MVP over him the years that they did, Jokic went further than them. If I'm not mistaken, no, you are mistaken. No, you are mistaken, Okay, which he wanted.
The first year he won MVP, I was the only person in America who said it should have been Chris Paul. They then played Chris Paul in round two and Chris Paul swept them in the playoffs. Okay, that was the first year. The second year that he won MVP, and I said Luca should have won it. Luca went to the conference finals and Joker lost five in round one. Now, in fairness, the team that beat Joker was Golden State, the same team that beat Luca last year. So no,
so that is not accurate about those years. Like I just the it was now you vote before the playoffs. I understand all of that, but go ahead.
Yeah, all right, I guess that's fair. Well, I think we'll see. We'll see how it pans out with the Timberwolves and and and Lay in the playoffs.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I I think that right now they look unbelievable. And right now you also ask yourself how different would last season's postseason have been had Minnesota not been without Jaden McDaniels Because he punched a wall and broke his hand right before the playoffs and without nas reed because he was hurt. Like Jade McDaniels and nos reed right now, critical.
Piece, huge players, huge pieces for them now.
Also, Anthony Edwards is better than he was. There's a lot of other factors, but yeah, okay, all right, let's move on to Jalen Brunson.
Uh. Yes, So the Knicks came back, came back from a down ten despite Brunson and Ogianinovi getting hurt. Jen Jalen hurt, not Jalen hurts. Jalen brunts was able to come back later, but he still doesn't look one hundred percent. But that foot injury, it seems like the workload would be getting to them at this point. Have you ever seen have you ever seen a team with as much heart?
Sorry, no, you're fine.
Uh, I mean it's almost impossible not to root for the Knicks in my opinion if you're neutral.
Just the way they play.
The Villanova piece is amazing. Brunson at his size, doing what he's doing, which is why now allow me to complain for a moment. I've never been more infuriated watching a broadcast than I was watching last night.
Okay, I get that.
Reggie Miller came back to New York and we have to still just make a big deal about I'm sorry, but one of the most historically overrated players of any era, like Reggie, was a very good player who had some great moments. He also Latrell Spreewell was there. He and Spree played the same position in the same era. Spree actually made a first or second team All NBA. Reggie his whole career never did. And we're treating Reggie Miller like this golden God. Fine, so be it. You look
up the numbers. It's like he was really good and it was a clutch shooter and had some nice moments.
He was also eighteen three and three for his career, so he can pump the brakes on a little of the hey giography on him. But set that aside. And I never pronounced that word properly. Uh, But.
Whatever said, whatever your plan on making this broadcast about Reggie and Spike and the Knicks in the Garden has to go out the window. When Jalen Brunson goes out with a mysterious injury for a quarter and a half and no one knows anything. I there was no updates. They couldn't they weren't. They made no effort, it seemed, to find the video of when the injury happened. They just kept showing us the video of when they thought the injury happened.
But it didn't.
He got hit in the groin on a play and then played another four or five plays, then asked out and then was gone and we got nothing on it. Then later in the game, Og and Nanobi is on a fast break, comes up, lame throws, the ball up falls out of bounds. They don't acknowledge that that has happened for two possessions. The Knicks are playing five on four. They haven't said anything, and then they immediately diagnose Og. Oh, it's just cramps. He'll be fine, Na Bro, he heard
his hamstring. Og might be done for the playoff. I have no idea, but hamstrings are tricky. I have no inside information there.
But it wasn't cramps, Like, what are we doing?
Jalen brunts in Then after a foot injury that to this moment, we got no.
Like, Oh, here's where it could have happened.
All you have is time scour every every piece of footage you have of jailing from the beginning of the game to the three minute mark of the first quarter when he went out and see when he reacted to something with his foot, like, what are we doing? So that was maddening, maddening from a viewer perspective. Now to Jalen I, he would have had another forty What did he end with? How many points did he end with? Thirty two? The it might be, it might have been
twenty eight, might be thirty two. I'm gonna I'll pull it up right now. Okay, neither twenty nine twenty nine, but in thirty two minutes, because he so he usually plays forty five, he had twenty nine to eighteen shots made every key three and those three Villanova guys. Man Heart is just an unbelievable winning player, just a total winner.
Can I demand?
I'm gonna make Demonte laugh here because obviously the skill, the size, all this stuff is.
Not on the part. But you know, Josh Hart reminds me of.
Angs, Yes, exactly right, Like I don't know how you do it, but you're just Angus was a guy, a wonderful young man that Demonse played high school basketball with. But Angus was not that tall, was not that like skilled, but just outworked everybody on every possession and what's just a winner, you know, strong and tough, never complained in a winner.
And he he hasn't are he hasn't seen the bench since his Villanova days. Do you think that he's killing the whole load management debate?
Well, so here's the thing I know that there is. Folks are like, wow, you know Tibbs really putting load management to shame? Yes and no, because he also now has had five guys get hurt. So Randall is out and has been out, Bogdanovich got injured during the playoffs, Mitchell Robinson has a stress fracture. He's out og as a hamstring we'll see on him. And Jalen Brunson's got a mysterious foot thing. So I don't know actually that he's killing the load management thing because his players do
are unfortunately dropping. But I the and the Pacers complaining after the game they sent to the league go ahead.
No, I just think if you're the Pacers in your at this point in the postseason, I don't. I mean, they're not here often. I just think that you'd want to be able to say at the end of everything that you did everything in your power to advance and like complaining to the refs when you're at this stage, when you're not here often, I just think is a waste.
And also sending seventy nine plays that you think they got wrong in the first two games. Shut up, that's too many the and it's just too seventy nine.
I mean, what are you doing? I mean, what are we talking about?
Also Carlisle doing the small market blues when Okacs undefeated. Minneapolis isn't exactly you know, Los Angeles they're undefeated. Denver is medium sized market. They won the championship, like miss me. With that, I think it's impossible to analyze this series moving forward until we know more about OG and Jalen's injuries. But I do not think it is impossible to say this. Jalen Brunson has been the best player in this postseason.
With respect to Anthony Edwards, he has been the best player in this postseason with the heaviest load, and he is, to me now a minted superstar.
What I I'll give you.
We can go back and forth on names, but I would rather have Jalen Brunson than Devin Booker. I would rather have Jalen Brunson than Donovan Mitchell. I would rather have Jalen Brunson right now than Jimmy Butler. I would rather have Jalen Brunson than Damian Lillard. I would I just that is what this regular season and then postseason has done, in my opinion for his standing. All right, Demonse, let's move on.
All right, So demonte Bird lookalike Byron Scott went on Undisputed and took a shot at Lebron yesterday. So we're gonna take a look at what he said. For those watching on YouTube, he.
Said, Yeah, I got it. Make Lebron the coach.
It's obvious to me, at least the He's making a lot of decisions that are going on in this organization, from a coaching standpoint to a player standpoint. So if you're gonna allow him make those decisions, sit on the bench and make those decisions as well, beat the head coach.
Go ahead. Yeah. So, in his saltiness, do you think he actually provided the Lakers with their answer?
Okay, So here's the only thing I'm gonna ask. If Lebron's always been the coach and the GM for the Lakers, then I guess he does have six rings, just like Michael because he gets one for playing and winning the championship, one for building the team, and one for being the head coach. This if Lebron's making all the decisions, then Kyrie Irving would be a Laker and Tyler would be.
The head coach.
So again, I know folks love to do this math of the things that work out for the Lakers. The Lakers did and the things that don't, like the Westbrook trade Lebron did, and when they that Lebron somehow has firing power of coaches but not hiring power. All of this self serving nonsense is fine. Uh do I think Lebron.
Here? Do I think he's going to be player coach? No? Do I think that would have worked over the course of a season.
No?
Do I think unequivocally that if Lebron were a player coach for that Nugget series that the Lakers would have fared better.
I do.
Do I think Lebron is better, would be a better player coach, was an actual coach?
Yes? Go ahead? Could you walking back? You said if Lebron were the player coach and the Denver series it would have went better?
As what you said, Yeah, I mean, if Lebron were the player coach in the Denver series. I think that when the multiple times in the third quarters when Denver is going on their game changing runs, Lebron would have called a timeout. I do think that. I don't think against Denver Lebron would have trotted out the three guard lineup that Darvin was obsessed with all year that never worked.
I do think that.
Now, do I think it? What are in between them winning and losing the series? I? Probably not? But do I think they would have been better coached in that series with Lebron as the player coach?
Yes? Do I think he could do it? Anyone could do it over the course of a year. No, I think the.
Leagues two different Bill Russell did it. I understand different league, different film study, different responsibilities, all of that. All right, Uh, let's go on to the MAVs thunder.
Yeah, your lard Slovenian son looks like he needs to stay off the SIGs and hookah. Two questions for you, is Luca abound to have a bounce back game? I kind of feeling to know what your great answer is to that one? And of the MAVs screwed if he doesn't.
Yes, and yes, I do think he'll bounce back. And I also think they their only path is He's gotta be vintage playoff Luca go ahead to Monsey.
Yeah, I think I don't think that for the Mavericks to be successful. I think what is a Kyrie and Luca had to combine like thirty nine. I don't think that type. I don't think that can happen.
No, it has to be closer to seven seventy honestly, Yeah, for real.
Like this is that.
Luca's Kyrie's gotta get is gonna give you twenty five to thirty and Luca's got to give you thirty plus with double digit assists and good Rebound's the only way they don't have a good enough and Luca, by the way, Game one was maybe the worst playoff game of his career. It was the second fewest points the I think third, it was one of his third worst shooting percentage, fewest threes.
He's ever made.
It was terrible, Like it wasn't just like bad by Lucas standards, he was actually bad.
Uh, And so.
Yeah, they the the through line for this MAVs team is Luca's gotta be lebron with the Caps. Kyrie's there, Kyrie's gotta be Kyrie, and Luca's gotta be controlling everything and then hitting open three point shooters, and they got to hit the shots. Now, I believe in Luca, and I'm not gonna do what people want to do for Jamal Murray, which is Jamal Murray. When he's brilliant in Game five against the Lakers, he's brilliant. And when he's bad in Game one and two against the Thunder or
against the Tea Wolves, he's hurt. I've been down that road in twenty sixteen with Steph Curry, and it was one of the most annoying storylines I'd ever seen. In twenty sixteen, Steph did get dinged and missed time, and then he came back and in his first game back in the playoffs, he had forty points, including a record that stands to this day, seventeen points in overtime and literally screamed, I'm back. And then the very next game was awesome. And then the beginning of the series against OKC,
he really struggled and everyone's like, oh, Steph's hurt. You can't, guys, guys, we all know he's hurt. And then in Game seven against Okay, see was brilliant. They're like, oh, Steph's back, he's great. And then in the beginning of the finals against the Calves, Steph was or the game four, the big game to go up three one against the Calves, he was great. We were like, man, Steph Curry's back. And then the final three games against the Calves, he's struggling, and I.
Was like, oh, he's hurt.
You can't do that. We can't do though. When he's great, he's great, and when he's not he's hurt. Is Luca one hundred percent? Probably not, But Luca was kicked ass in Game six against the Clippers. So I'm not gonna sit here and be like, oh, but now he's not playing well, it's because he's hurt.
And people are trying to do the same thing with Jamal Murray. I don't like it.
Uh, Luca's gotta be better. If he's not awesome, they can't win. If he is awesome, they can. I think he'll be awesome. Quick break right back, what's right?
All right? Welcome back in what's right? With Nick? Right real quick? I'm just seeing on my timeline Jadon Daniels and Malik neighbors the LSU quarterback and wide receiver who are now Washington's quarterback and the Giants wide receiver. We're on Keyshawn's pod and all facts. No breaks is what it's called.
And we just put out the clip of them saying they have a ten thousand dollars bet between them on who wins Offensive Rookie of the Year.
I don't, guys, I don't think that's allowed. I think that's considered gambling on the NFL. I think it's totally fine and not a problem. But I also, like I wouldn't say that publicly, and I wouldn't.
I don't.
I don't think that's allowed, guys.
I'm not sure. I mean, it's been up for eighteen hours, so like.
I I don't for the camera, Yeah, that's I think what you gotta say. I just don't think that's allowed. I'd yeah, I don't know.
I'm not trying to get anyone, and I can't imagine they would actually get in trouble. But I don't think you're I don't think anything involving.
For professional football. They want your betting on if you're playing professional football. I'm just I just I just think that all right to Mona.
Yeah yeah, so Uh. Historically for a team to win a finals, they have to take their playoff slumps. Uh. But Minnesota and Okasee are both undefeated and look like the real deal despite being inexperience and young. Uh. Do you think this is the year that that historical mold is broken?
So it would be more broken from a team standpoint of OKC does it? OKC is the youngest team to ever win a single game in Round two. They're the second youngest team to ever win a single series. That team winning a title seems impossible, but we talked about this on the TV show yesterday. The only thing, the only argument against them is the experience argument. Top five offense, top five defense. They don't turn the ball over, they have the best three point shooting in basketball.
The only thing they do.
Poorly is rebound. I don't think they're gonna win the title. Like the way this should work, Demons is Boston should win the title if Denver gets popped. This is all on a silver platter for Boston. You're either playing a MAVs team.
That is that end of how easy it was for the Celtics though, Oh nobody cares about that.
Nobody cares about that the title. You win the title.
The only time people I think care about that is if in the finals the other team's best players suffered debilitating injury. Yeah, like the I do look at that Raptors Championship as good for them for getting there and surviving. But when Klay Thompson blows out his knee and Kevin Durant plays eleven minutes in the series and Pops's achilles.
Do I think they were the best team?
No?
You know what I mean?
Like the I don't, But nobody cares about path like the and the Celtics earned the path might be in the one seede being so the the the That's the way it should work this year because if you play the MAVs, you have six of the eight best.
Players in the series.
If you play the Timberwolves you have the ability to kind of play five out in a way that could really give them trouble and maybe play Rudy off the floor. And if you play the Thunder you have all the experience. Uh yeah, I wouldn't look.
At it as that is.
The Celtics don't win, it just opens up a whole new like can for the NBA I just feel like everything will just be recalibrated.
One right, and the only the only world where the Celtics could have not won the title given the playoff bracket and felt good about their season was if Denver beat them, If you're playing the defending champs, if Jokic is there, if he just elevates to another level, it's like, all right, like you know what I mean, we're playing an all time great player and at the peak of his powers. But if twenty two year old Anthony Edwards dust, you gotta.
The argument with this Cltics the entire time. Like when they I mean when they got to the finals, it's like, oh, they're not experienced. They've been here yep and.
Yeah, and now they have exactly And it's a weird spot because, like, I like, the Celtics are your team.
They play a playoff game tonight.
My guess is you're not even that excited for it because it feels.
Like I'm way more doubt into other series than I am the Celtics. I mean this, this whole if I'm being honest, this whole playoff runt. I've been watching more of other teams watched the Celtics.
Yeah, because right, because it's like, all right, they're obviously gonna beat Miami without Jimmy, They're obviously gonna beat Cleveland. And then you know what I mean, next round they could be playing a Knicks team that has nobody left or a Pacers Like I.
Mean, like if it is exactly rather it or not be.
But yeah, and so I the so it's a weird spot the Okay, all right, let's move on to a game. It's a new game we're playing called Moving the Needle Dog Edition dog Ometer.
Okay, try, this is a real test.
Oh so Yeah. Everybody likes to say their favorite players have that dog in them, but if we're being honest, some players are more toy poodle than pitbull. So, in honor of the Westminster Dog Show coming to Fox early next week, let's take a look at how much dog these playoffs starts have inside of them. First off, we
got we got my guy, Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum has led the Celtics to the conference finals in four of the last six years, but Tatum has has bad, bad shooting Knights and has only scored twenty four points once in these playoffs. On a scale of pup to hound, how much does Tatum? How much dog does Jason Tatum have inside of him?
Oh?
Look, demon say the the the hound is Dexter. Yeah, our dog on the far right. But so here's the thing. I'm gonna put him like a squirrel over the left, put him right in the middle, because we have seen. Listen Tatum's Game six against Giannis, Yeah is all time? His Game seven against Philly last year?
Was it Philly?
I think it was, Yeah is all time. But here's the other thing. The And this is where Celtic Celtics fans get so mad at Colin Cowherd because he's like he basically calls Tatum a B plus a minus and that he'll never be in A plus. He'll never be like that guy. But I think he's right. And the evidence I would bring you is this, even the best player in the world, joker can be bad, downright bad
in a playoff game like he was Game two. Everybody has bad games, but the best guys when they're in their prime, never have a string of them in a row in the postseason. And Tatum, you could argue, he's played six playoff games this year, he's played up to his standard in one of them the last four he's six of sixteen, five of fourteen, four of nine, seven of nineteen, and he's averaging less than twenty points. That's a four game stretch.
You say he's the guy with the best supporting cast ever, though like it's more.
I mean, yes, but he's got the best supporting cast of everybody. But so here's the thing that doesn't explain the inefficiency, that would explain low point totals. But when he's taking shots, he's trying to make them. And so I just the worry I would have if I were you, Demonse, is this, no matter who comes out of the West, they're gonna have the best player in the series.
And say, Luca Joker.
There's only like five six guys in the league that are hands down better than Tatum, but they're all left in the Western Conference, And so you're not you can win without.
Having all those players are better? Right you said all those players are Okay.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. One of those four guys is going to be in the finals. Aunt, Shae, Luca Joker. They're all better than Tatum.
They just are.
So I think that's a little recency bias right there. But Uh, you on you saying that all of them are okay except for except for a joker, but an in Shae and who's the other one you mentioned? Luca okay fair.
Better than Tatum his whole career. The I know you don't, but that's fine. I mean, An just finished second in MVP voting. I'm sorry, Shae just finished second MVP voting.
And Ant is.
Been light in the world on fire that you're right that this year people thought Tatum was better than Ant, not than Shay, but then Ant.
But I don't think that.
I don't. I think Ants a killer in away. Tatum's not sorry, I just do.
All right? Next? All right, Secondly, we'll go with Jamal Murray, whose pockets are one hundred thousand lighter. After throwing that hot pack on the on the court, you called him a baby, but let's not forget he's also arguably the greatest playoff riser ever on a scale of pupp to hound. How much dog does Jamal Murray having him.
Well, were about to find out right now. I'll put him in the yellow so, you know, closer to hound than pup for people that are listening. Uh, but let's go see how he looks. In Game three, the guy won't I have been really uh disenchanted, I don't know if that's the right word, but disappointed with his antics and his comments and lack of accountability, uh for that nonsense in game too.
And he hasn't been very good flatly.
Uh.
The Lakers series bizarre because he was only great in one game. He didn't play a good series, but he had two game wins, and so right, I mean the two game winners, like you just wipe everything away. But then in these two games he's been whiny, he's been complaining, and so yeah, we'll see, let's see. I reserve the right to change that opinion.
All right, is this the most?
Like? How often is this not the most that players and coaches have have whined about reffing in the postseason? Is it? Is it at a high or is it just about the standard?
I would say it's most, but it's more than usual. Doc Rivers is an all time you know, ref complainer guy. There are certain coaches that try to work the refs.
In the media. I do. I do think that there is higher more than usual, but not the most.
You think it has anything to do with the new rule changes?
That im, well, that aren't official rule changes. Yes, I do think that, like that they change the rules mid season without actually changing the rules and started letting people
play more physical. I also think what is frustrating guys is if you watch Dallas OKC, it was officiated like how games were officiated the first week of the regular season, and if you had just watched Minnesota Denver, it was officiated like it was happening in a prison, And so it's like, well, do we know like what rules we're going to be playing by now? The reason I actually thought both games were fine was because they were officiated
consistently within the game, you know what I mean. Like Dallas OKAC had a very tight whistle from the very beginning to the very end, and Minnesota Denver had no whistle.
From the very beginning to the very end.
The all right, that is also the other concern for OKAC is what if they don't get the whistle. So Shae Shay this year, this is an unbelievable stat. Shay this year shot the exact same number of free throws as Lebron and Paul George combined. Those two guys played one hundred and forty five games. Between the two of them, Shay played seventy five. I think he shot the exactly so he.
Hands down better than Tatum. By the way, I.
Think he is better than Tatum, but I'm just saying a lot of that is relying on his ability to get to the line, and if he's not getting the whistle, I wonder how that's gonna impact him all right.
Next, most people may associate Donovan Mitchell with more with an Iraq name than a dog. Stopped him from becoming a top ten point points per game score over the playoffs on a scale of Scooby Doo to air Bud? How much dog is a ton of Mitchell have inside of him?
Why is hold on? Why so air Bud's the best?
Yeah, I'm confused on Scooby Doo w being not dog?
Yeah?
I terrible ranking system guys, he's cowardly. Shut up, Daniel, what do you know about Scooby Doo? You're too young? They called Scooby do How many crimes have you solved?
Uh?
I'm I'm I'm gonna say.
On offense, he's ultimate dog and on defense even in the playoffs, he's a total pop. And it's why I can't totally get on board with Donovan Mitchell the superstar. But on offense, he's unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable and has been his whole career. All right, let's go to Anthony Edwards.
Uh, former Georgia Bulldog. Anthony Edwards taking the league by storm. He's talking to that talk and he's also backing it up on a scale of cats. A Georgia bulldog. How much dog does Anthony Edwards having side of him?
Is this even a question?
Yeah?
Full blown bulldog. This guy is so much fun.
Malonaise or something?
What what did you say?
A malonnaise melaniese?
Oh? Is that like a big, strong dog?
You know? More do? It's like a German shepherd, but like their faces are more blacked out. I think cops use him?
Oh a Belgian shepherd? Yeah, Belgian MALANOI malanois melani.
I don't know. Oh yeah, well let's not let's not do that to him. Let's not call him a cop dog.
But yeah, but but yeah, tough, like a angry Doberman Junkyard dog.
I love god, I love watching him. All right, let's go.
Last year, you said Dexter has no place that the Dog Show.
Oh wait, no, you're skipping the Thunder.
Hold on, hold on, crap, no, no disrespect. After every win the Thunder do their own core interviewed together and ended by barking such dorks on a scale of cat to Michael J. Fox and teen Wolves, how much dog does the Thunder have inside of them?
Okay, first of all, this is a little unfair to Cat now Karl Anthony Towns because he is showing some real fight here. But yeah, the Thunders grouping or I got it on. I'm going to sound like a bit of a hater and I kind of want someone.
To beat them.
Yeah, and I hope it's Luca. It's just a little too high schooling. And I know they're young, and I know lot of fun. Man, they are having a lot of fun with it. And I know that's why he said. I know, I'm being a bit of a hater here.
I mean I saw him or like a quote from one of the guys, but it's like they are the only, like the only group of guys that are aware of what they're doing. Like, dude, you're making millions of dollars to play basketball?
Uh? J Williams is quote No, so Jalen Williams Is quote is a great one where he's like he was asked about something and he was like, man, I get paid millions of dollars to play basketball. And also you got to keep in mind Jalen Williams' career, Demanse, Jalen Williams, three star kid. His only offers were Nevada, Hofstra and Santa Clara. He went to Santa Clara and you know, was not on a lot of people's radar until the
very end of his collegiate career. And now he's, uh, the second best player on the number one seed, you know, the Oklahoma City Thunder. And so he is, I think, really over the moon at what's happened. And that is great scouting by them, by the way, Sam Thrusting and company.
All right, last one, Demanse.
All right, so last year you said Dexter has no place at the dog show. Well, let's let's take a look.
Here's why my client was not invited to Westminster. He's one of the dumbest animals ever to live.
He's really he's not great.
I mean, I understand no dogs are brilliant, but our dog is cartoonishly stupid. Oh yeah, go ahead, demanse.
So, do you think he's improved his draft stock since last year?
No, I mean he's he's he's sweeter now than he used to be. He's a little less like insane, but he's still pretty nuts and he is just real. I don't know if I've told this story on the air or not, but I'll tell it real quick and then we'll move on when I say he's dumb. Every morning, every morning, I get up and.
I take him out, and I give.
Him fresh water and fresh food, and he hangs out until I go to work, and then every day when I get home from work, that water and food are sitting there untouched, no matter if I get home at four forty five or seven thirty at night.
And then the moment I walk in the.
Door, I take him out, and then he ravenously eats and drinks everything he had, and I give him more water and he drinks it up because he is starving and so thirsty. And I think it is because if I'm not there, he hasn't yet figured out that I always come back. And I think he's like, this might have to last me the rest of my life, so I can't no matter how hungry or thirsty, I am, I can't eat it or well, so that does involve a level of thinking. But also after three years, you
haven't realized, buddy, I'm always coming back. I mean, this poor guy is just sitting there so thirsty and hungry and won't touch the food.
And that's just I mean, he's just, I mean he's I love him. I love him, But I know it's been a while. You haven't seen him since Thanksgiving?
Yeah, it's been a while. All right, quick break, right back, we answer listener questions. Next, What's right?
All right, welcome back in What's right with Nick? Right, demonse, Let's get some of these listener questions.
Bradley Hammond asked, are this year's playoff showing that the regular season matters more than the narrative would say Denver versus Okacs pat to the finals as prime example, Knicks culture proving wise because of the Nuggets won that Spurs game, they wouldn't even been in the position.
Correct? Correct?
And also if the Nuggets the the Nuggets played okay see late in the year and SGA hit a game winner with a second left, Yeah, like, there are a lot of ways for the Nuggets to be the one seed and not be dealing with this. And by the way, shout out to Bradley Hammond, who was on our stream before we went live, so we wanted to let his question be up first. I Yeah, I mean, I do
think there is some redemption here. Demons for the regular season and the Lakers screwing around the first fifty games and starts well, yeah, I mean they didn't start their best lineup until game fifty.
Just seems dumb.
But you guys, people can ask darbnham about it and end up having to fight for their lives just to you know, get out of the ten spot all year. The Yeah, there's a lot of a lot of the regular season and the Knicks fighting for that two seed getting it dealing with Philly. Yes, I agree with that entirely.
All right.
Next, Caleb w asked which player currently which player currently remaining will have the biggest legacy legacy boost if they were to win the championship. Brunson. Huh, it's like just considering with what I mean.
No, I mean it is Brunson.
I guess I don't think they can win the title, but yeah, I mean it would be Brunson that I think second place would be Luca. If Luca wins the title, then he's twenty five. You're you start looking at him as does he have a claim that he's the best player in the league.
It's the only you know what I mean, Well, he's twenty two?
Are you saying because he?
I mean, I I guess so, Ant. I feel like Ant and say are younger than Luca.
I feel like, right now, Luca is almost old enough to a point to where he starts to catch some shrapnel for not having been to a finals, you know what I mean? So it is Luca winning the title. Dead's all that, and he has acclaimed best player in the league. Ant already is like he's found money. But yeah, I mean, Ant, we've never seen a guy aunt's age be the best player on a champion. The best twenty two year old season we ever saw was Lebron and No.
Seven getting that team to the finals. Kobe was awesome at twenty two and won a title, but he obviously.
Was the beloe An age. He's like barely a year older.
Oh yeah, because Luca, Luca came in so young. That's a good point as well. Uh so they're oh so gosh, I thought.
I think for Luca, it's just his legacy, but I think would have the bigger legacy boost.
You know what, I think you're right, you know what, You're you're right about that about what it would do. The other guy sneaky, what it is Tatum? Yeah, if Tatum gets a finals MVP, like what you know what? Now they win the title and Derek White gets the finals MVP, it's it doesn't hurt Tatum obviously still.
Channel, but it's a different story.
All right, Let's go to the next one.
Kyle, Kyle, nuts and ass Nick, what do you think the biggest immediate impacts of the new TV deal will be impact on the players, networks, organizations, et cetera.
Uh.
I think the biggest impact is going to be people getting really mad on TV when the guy first guy signs an that's more than eighty two million dollars a year.
It is gonna be so obnoxious.
Get more than a million dollars a game.
That's there's gonna be no real impact other than the superstar salaries are gonna be bananas.
But they earned it. Guys. People are like, why do they make so much more than football players? Because there's less of them guys, these twelve man teams a fifteen man team. It's not complicated. It's just they play a bunch of games and there's not a lot of players. All right, next change d these two together. Chain P said, let's play Fortnite. Where are we dropping in? Craig Barnett question for Nick? What skin do you use on Fortnite? Whicheveryone Dee put on before correct?
So I think right now, like I'm kind of like a young hipster black girl on Fortnite because it's what Deanna built out for me. And as far as where I drop, I almost always drop, so demons, I've totally changed in how I play for the record ever sent and this is why I play a lot now these days because for a long time you couldn't do ranked solo.
You had to be on duos or whatever. But now ranked solo is a thing.
And I'm I mean, I'm trying to pat myself on the back, but I'm platinum too. It's only like six rankings.
Oh so you like doing the rank thing? You just like that system.
Yeah, because you play the back you play better people Like yeah, it's way harder because you play people within your rank.
Yeah, right, it's skill based mattery. I'm like, why do you want to play better? People?
You're bad because I've gotten awesome at the game, Demons, because I'm actually great at it now. Demise laughs because when he lived with me, the way I played Fortnite is I would drop at the very edge of the map and then hide.
I would just like get in a car and get the passenger seat and.
Just tried it and just try to just get to where there are like two or three people left and hope one killed the other one the storm killed that one. But now I'm in the streets, man, I'm in there the So I'll tell you where I tend. I'll tell you where I tend to drop. There is on I guess the bottom of the map. There's a little island with a house on it, and that island has a bunch of bots in it, and one of them has a key card into a safe that has like really
good weapons. So I try to drop there to kill that guy immediately so I can be weaponed up. Or at the very top of the map, there's an island, but a lot of people drop there because the Star Wars guys are there, and if you can kill those guys you get these sick weapons. So I go one of those two places usually to get the weapons situation, and then I crush fools. This is the first I'm almost forty years old. I've never played any video game other than sports games until this. I never played Halo,
I never played any of the I guess. I played GoldenEye against friends in college, but I never was like the first person shooter game ever. But I've gotten into Fortnite.
Oh, I'm glad you love it, Pops, and I'm happy you found that he's landed in a game with one hundred, one hundred live players and he's like, let me go to the bot and kill it real quick.
But well, yeah, hit the weapons so I can then fight with everyone else.
Smart. It's just good Stratgy.
Your Slovenian son has ranked five hundredth in an Overwatch five hundreds in the world.
Okay, by the.
Way, okay, so I saw that. I need like a better fact check on that. But if he's top five hundred in.
The world, that would be crazy, right, Also in the.
Playoffs, a little bit of a red flag.
I love him, but that's a bit of a I think Overwatch is too popular to be top five hundred in the world at.
It as a side gig. All right, The go to Anthony Adams.
Anthony Adams said, I know you're a great person to invite to a wedding, but does the same apply to a couple's first baby shower? All right, So we've been invite me of these things in substitution, if you know.
Okay, all right, so this is a great take, all right. So two things. One is.
We've been too busy with the NBA playoffs for me to update everyone on this. The whole invite me to a wedding because I won't show up and I'll send a gift thing. In the last two weeks to Monsey, nine invitations have shown up.
It's now becoming like.
A potential problem because I don't want to go to the registry and some people's stuff on the registry sucks. It's like, we need this spatula, and I'm like, what type of jerk is getting.
You a three dollars spatula?
Like I'm not saying it sucks, like I under standard's like, oh, we need this wheel whatever. But I don't want to be I don't want to buy a bad gift but I also I didn't budget out for so many people to be inviting me to their weddings, so we might have to do like an NBA lottery style, like I draw from all the invitations. I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I've got invitations, I bet right now.
Hold on, let me look, I bet.
I have an unopened invitation just in my bag right here.
Let me draft draft lotteries on Sunday. We could do it on Tuesday, right, Let's see fifteen.
This might not this is This is from Leannexa, Kansas.
Oh well, I mean that's not yeah, oh oh wait, hold on, uh oh. This is a thank you for a wedding I didn't go to. I'm gonna read this on the air. I thought I hadn't even opened this because I didn't want to have guilt about not sending a gift.
Nick.
Unfortunately, I got married before. You claim to be the best person invite to a wedding, so this will have to do. I'm your biggest fan since your days on six ten in Kansas City, shout out. I may be the only person who loves the draft more than you, as I've done multiple mock drafts. My entire life every year. This even helped me plan out my career path where
I became the Oh wow. I don't know if he wants me to say what he does, but he was the director of recruiting for a big time university and now he's the director of player personnel for another big time university. Regardless, I'm a big fan of everything you do. Take care, Eric. Shout out to Eric and Mariah. Good for them. That's awesome. That wasn't even a wedding invite. I thought it was a wedding invite. Let me see if I have more in here, Danielle. Are there any
on the desk over there? I don't know, but they're at my job. They're all over the place. So I gotta figure that out of what I'm gonna do with that. But but Demonse said something accurate. If you're getting married in the Los Angeles area, send an invite here for Demanse and he'll go.
I'll go.
The weddings are fun.
Demanse was a star at me and his mom's wedding a few weeks ago. Some of those pictures are trickling in now.
They're great.
Demonse will actually attend and be a life of the party.
So yeah, I don't know that he'll travel far.
But if you're getting married in the southern California area, all right, let's do Gabe's question and then we'll move on.
Gabe says Nick. Do you really think school played a meaningful role, meaningful rolling in the investigation in solving crimes? That was all Fred, Velma and Daphne, Scooby and Shaggy. Weren't that dialed in. We're not exactly a dialed in amen.
I you know what I'm gonna disagree. I think it's a team effort.
I think that the I think the fact that they had a high on in Shaggy and and a seemingly dumb dog in Scooby made the criminals put their let their guard down. They're like, these guys aren't gonna get or else. You just have a bunch of industrious nerds chasing you because they just thought they were a bunch of stoners and so they that's how they got caught all the time. Obviously, Scooby was a huge part of
their success. And you guys, you know, defaming the name of an all time dog exactly right, And uh, I mean it's just ridiculous, Like I don't know how the how much was Batman important to the What are we talking about? The That would be a fun thing during August and all time dog ranking all dogs from all forms of media.
Yeah, I mean we really could. I mean, I'm just I'm right now, just like on top five and bottom five.
Who's the first pick in the draft. Let's do a quick one first first pick in the.
Draft, first pick of the draft. I mean, there's so many I'm gonna I don't want to snubb any one. I haven't studied this well enough. Your mom just said Snoopy. Snoopy is iconic.
But not that We're going like like all dogs, like every dog.
I'm not doing like breed dog dog from the sandlot.
I feel like he's got to be. He's one of those dogs. Man actually scared of that dog.
What about Lassie? I mean last he saved a lot of lives. You know who Lastie is? The old time saved a lot of lives, a lot of kids.
There's a dog that fought off eight coyotes for his herd of sheep. I don't remember the dog's name, but an he killed him.
You know what? Faking that's kind of just doing your job. Oh right, I mean it's probably like the I mean there's Ren ten ten, the old Yeller, a little overrated if we're being honest. Toto, oh Kujo's tough one. Beethoven, Beethoven's a great dog.
I mean there's a lot. I don't even know. The Marley for Marley and Me. Full on your heartstrings.
Uh bingjive too many. This is again we're blowing content here. We got too much to do. All right, I gotta get to work.
I'll see you guys later. What's right?
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