Welcome in What's Right with Nick Wright. Another emergency pod following a really important Laker game. This one did not go the Lakers way and the loss might be the least of their worries. Celtics one eleven, Lakers won oh one. This might be the shortest pod we've ever done, but I wanted to do something here because I'm about to get on a plane to go to Vegas on this
very channel. If you're watching on YouTube Monday, you're gonna be able to watch me play in a live cash game at the Poker Ghost Studios and then I'll be back in New York and back doing this show Tuesday morning. Gonna do first things first from Vegas. So very busy next thirty six hours for me. But Lebron James Tweaks is growing. I'm gonna call it Tweaks is growing because Sham's just reported one to two weeks is what they're looking at.
So here's what we want to do on the Today's Show very.
Quickly, the game last night, the impact of Lebron's injury, and then in we haven't talked to you since Lebron confronted.
I think that's a fair word. Steven A.
At the previous Laker game against the Knicks, and I do think that that I guess we have talked to you since then. We haven't talked to you since that video came out. I do think that is worth a few minutes because I might have some details on that that have not been publicly shared that I think I'm within my rights to share. So I will share those, but first the game. We'll get to Lebron just a minute, because I want to give credit where it's due. Tatum was phenomenal. Tatum.
You look, even if you don't watch the game, you look at the box.
Score, forty twelve and eight, playing big minutes, forty five minutes, barely resting. He was outstanding and as good as Jalen Brown was. And Jalen Brown hit a huge three late when the game had been cut to four. He finished with thirty one and six. I actually thought the most impressive Celtic other than Tatum was Al Horford Horford who kept getting put out on an island with Luke a Ancic, and Horford held his own as well as any guy his age. Any thirty eight year old not named Lebron
James could have been asked to do. Horford did it, and Missoula after the game gave him a ton of credit and he deserved a ton of credit.
I mean Luca, So I'll get to Luca in a second. But the Tatum was great the Celtics. Here's the thing.
If you're a Celtics fan, the Celtics were awesome. It's the best version of the Celtics. You saw it last night. I think you'll see that again on Wednesday. Wednesday, the Celtics play the Thunder. I think they will be amped for that game. After that, you look at their schedule, you might not see a fully locked in, fully motivated Celtics team until Round two of the playoffs. You might after Saturday night and then this coming Wednesday. That.
Let me put it like this, If.
The Celtics don't play well Wednesday, and I think they will, Saturday might be the last time you see them play great for two months because they're not gonna have to the after Oklahoma City. The schedule is Miami, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Utah, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, San Antonio, Memphis, Miami, Phoenix, Washington, New York, Orlando, Charlotte, Charlotte.
Maybe that New York game late in the year. But I also could see the Celtics, you know, kind of holding some things back in that game because that's probably gonna be the round two matchup. But the Celtics showed you yesterday, particularly in that third quarter, is that championship gear. They still have it, And not that many of us doubted they had it. But this is why a lot of us, hand up, myself included, have considered the Celtics, not the Calves, the real favorites in the East all
year long. So the Celtics serve massive credit. They got that. They got the victory by dominating the Lakers in the third quarter. There was a moment I thought the Lakers might be able to steal it, a really soft I thought foul on a three pointer on Derek White when it was down to four is what allowed the Celtics to kind of, you know, never have the Lakers have the ball with a chance to cut to one possession
after that great third quarter, So Celtics win. They're seven back of the one and seven up on the three, so they are just locked into the three line. Now to the Lakers side, Listen, Lebron got hurt and his demeanor after the game tells me he doesn't think this is a month long injury, and the Sham's report that they're going to give it a couple of days to calm down and then they're going to reevaluate in one to two weeks tells me he hopefully would be back
by the end of the month. So they have a road trae the Lakers have a tough schedule.
Well, they have a tough schedule the rest of the way.
I think it's the third toughest schedule the rest of the way. Now, I am obviously, you know, maybe biased on this because I am going to Memphis twenty days from now to three weeks from today. I guess there's another way to put it. To see grizzlyes Lakers. I obviously would hope Lebron would be back by then. It wouldn't shock me if they have him come back after that for the homestand but one to two weeks means maybe he's back way earlier than that.
I don't think this is anything like a death.
Now for the Lakers, and I even think there is a slight bright side that I'll get to in a moment. What it does mean, however, is their ability to hold on to the two seed, which they loss last night, is very tenuous, and their chances of falling from the three line are certainly in play now. I don't think they can fall further than the four five right now,
so everyone knows the standings. Denver's forty one and twenty two, the Lakers are forty and twenty two, the Grizzlies are thirty nine and twenty four, and the Rockets are thirty nine and twenty five. You then get to the Warriors, who have twenty eight losses, so you don't have to worry about them falling to the six, but not a big margin of error. Even though Memphis has not been playing well lately, so that neither of the Rockets really so that helps them out.
But the schedule's not easy.
At Brooklyn should be able to handle that game, then at Milwaukee at Denver, and then Phoenix San Antonio, Denver at home, Milwaukee at home, and then it softens up a bit. So these next couple weeks where they should be without Lebron James gonna be in a tough spot. Now. Where they deserve credit is the first half last night and then even when they were trying to make the
fourth quarter comeback. They're without their two tallest rotation players in Ruy and Jackson Hayes, So you just had everyone kind of playing out a position, and it felt to me like despite that, they mostly held their own Defensively, it was the Celtics defense and the Lakers' offense not being able to get it going. That was the difference in the game. And that's where the Celtics deserve a
lot of credit. And listen, Lucas still got thirty four, but Luca only had three assists and Luca, now, some of that was this guy's missing shots, but they did a good job of making sure Luca couldn't just be the pre eminent creator for the Lakers, and it's why the Lakers often struggled. There are some Laker fans who I'm noticing are already like man, Luca seems to be laboring.
Luca doesn't. Is he injured?
As someone who has watched you know, as much Luca Nachi since he came to the league as anyone alive, really, let me tell you, Luca appearing to be banged up is just Luca. He's always kind of limping, He's always kind of laboring. He's always got that kind of sour ah look on his face. It's just who he is and it's not something anyone really should be too shocked by. Okay, So I wouldn't read too much into that. I would just say that that is what it is, so to
speak that that is. Luca is very rarely one hundred percent healthy. So here is the potent Joe brightside to Lebron missing a little bit of time, You're still we still haven't gotten the full Lukadncic experience.
And I still think there.
Is a level of even though Luke had the ball, has had the ball in his hand a ton the last few games, the twenty two shots against the Celtics, twenty three against the Knicks, twenty two against the Clippers a week before, it still feels like there's a little bit The only game it really felt to me like, oh, that's the Luke I'm used to was the New Orleans game where he had thirty eight and fifteen And the fifteen assists is the number I'm you know, really looking at.
And maybe with Lebron out, you're going to get a little taste of a little more of that. And then when Lebron comes back that you're gonna get more Luca as the clear cut number one, Lebron as the best number two, imaginable one other thing on Luca, then I want to get back to Lebron. Jokich had a thirty twenty twenty game, and folks are wondering if that's gonna
win him the MVP award. That would really listen. I felt this way about the NFL MVP this year, and I'm glad the voters got it write and gave it to Josh. Two years ago, Josh Allen had far better stats than Lamar, but Lamar's team won, it fell and Lamar's team had the better record. Lamar's team was the one seed, and we said Lamar's the MVP. Okay, last year, Luca had the best stats in basketball by a lot.
He was thirty four, nine and ten for this season, and as far as the oh my god wow moments, had a sixty to twenty ten game last win and a seventy three to ten to seven game, and at no point were was the argument that I heard was the sixty to twenty ten game the year before last.
I'm not sure.
I'll have to look, but regardless, he had the seventy three game point game was definitely last season. But the argument was his team hasn't won enough there and it's Jokers Award, which I was totally fine with that. The MVP this year, based on the president that we have, probably needs to be shited. In fact, almost definitely needs to be shit. I do want to talk the Lebron stuff before we get to the confrontation on Friday night. I will be really bummed because he's gonna be healthy
by the playoffs. All be really bummed if he doesn't get to play seven more games this year. So this assuredly knocks Lebron out of He wasn't there, listen. He I was just talking MVP. MVP is going to go Shay one Joker to or maybe Joker one Shay to.
That's how it should be. That's what it's going to be.
But Lebron was making a case for some really fourth or fifth place votes. He also has been making a really interesting first Team All NBA case and first Team All NBA four spots are just locked Shay Joker, Jannis Tatum, and in that fifth spot I thought was going to come down between Donovan and Lebron Lebron now being out sitting at fifty eight games, the first team All NBA stuffs probably done, and the real question is he going
to get to the sixty five game threshold. I given the latest update on how long they expect him out, he should be back with plenty of time to get
to the sixty five games. But just as a basketball historian and obviously a Lebron guy, it would be a huge bummer if he finishes just shy of the sixty five game threshold and is not eligible for what will now be would be a second team All NBA, because there is some real poetry to year two, age twenty Lebron being second Team All NBA and then year twenty two, age forty Lebron being second Team All NBA. But he's out now for I'm gonna go ahead and make a guess.
I'm going to say Lebron James is going to return to the lineup. Today is the ninth I'm gonna say Lebron James is going to return to the lineup at Chicago Thursday, March twenty seventh. Again, that's based on absolutely nothing except the reading the tea leaves, So that would have him missing Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Denver, Phoenix, San Antonio, Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago, Orlando, Indiana. And that would have have him returning missing ten games
and then returning with ten games left. That's what I so, I think that if we set the over under the I think that is a good. Anything longer than that, I would be a little concerned. Anything quicker than that, you take as a bonus, talk a little quick insight into what the background of the Lebron and steven A thing was, and then wrap up the show. But first, this episode of What's Right brought to you by day of Pizza featuring dairy free cheese made with their new
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Bonus bets expire one hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG dot co slash b ball. Okay, So a couple quick things about the Lebron stephen a moment.
One is.
Just generally speaking, and this gets to where my frustration about how Lebron has been covered forever. Ah the killer instinct. People aren't afraid of him. He's not this guy's not that guy. So much of that just has to be has to do with how he's been covered rather than the reality. Because what happened on Thursday night was in a game it looked like the Lakers were going to lose.
In between the third and fourth quarter, Lebron James saw the world's most famous sports media member who he thinks has been unfair to him and his family. More on that in a second, walked over to him, checked him, and then against that guy's favorite team ever, walked them down, hit the three in the corner.
To cut it from four to one, directly in.
Front of that person, and then one in overtime, hitting all the clutch free throws. If that were Michael or Kobe, it would be part of their legend, it would be in their documentaries. Oh and then this time walked over to him in a game they were looked like they were gonna lose against that guy's favorite team, and then won the game. And so that's just I thought that was I think most of us when we saw it, assumed.
That happened after the game.
And I was even a little confused because I was watched that game and that game Lebron went right to the locker room after the game. And also when you saw it looked like something was going on on the court. So I remember when the video first came out, being like, was that during a live action essentially, But I didn't put it all together, and then we got the real details. It was between third and fourth quarter.
Now because I think.
A lot of people have been really dishonest and unfair about acting like oh Lebron's sons in the league, and now he doesn't want anyone, even though he's an NBA player, to criticize him.
That's not what this was. This was a number of different things.
The first one is this, I do think as far as criticism of Bronnie James, I do think it is. Listen, Bronnie James as a basketball player is totally fair, a
fair target. Where I think there might be some frustration is have you heard and I'm going to mispronounce some of these names, any of these names in any media whatsoever, except for maybe the most in the Weeds dedicated local team podcasts, Baylor Shireman, Jonathan Magbo, Kyle Philipowski, Tyler Smith, Tyler Kohlak, Johnny Furfey, Juan Nunez, Bobby Bobi, Clintman, aj Mitchell, Jalen Wells, Ohso Iguodaro, Adam Bona, kJ Simpson, Nikola Deresik
pel Larson, Jamal Sheed, Cam Christi, Antonio Reeves, Harrison, Ingram, Tristan Newton, Enriki Free, Melvin Ajinka, Quinton Post. I've been hearing some Quenton Post. He's been playing well for the Warriors, Cam Spencer, Anton Watson, Kevin mccullor junior or Rick Comchi, Ariel Huckporty the only guy I've heard mentioned all year.
Now.
The first couple of names I mentioned, Philipowski obviously was a great college player, and Shireman was a really good college player.
All year.
Maybe a little jimal sheet that those are all the second round picks. So it's not as if on these shows we talk a lot about second round picks. So you might be like, wow, yeah, but Bronnie is getting more opportunity, getting more run. You know, he's playing in more NBA games than most second round picks. Well, let's check Bronnie James, the fifty fifth pick of the draft. Here is where he ranks amongst rookies this year in the following categories. Again, you'd I've did this once before,
I will do it again. The fifty fifth pick, you would hope's round fifty fifth in everything in minutes played in the NBA. Bronnie James the fifty fifth pick is fifty sixth in games played. Bronnie James the fifty fifth pick is fifty first in assists Bronnie James. The fifty fifth pick is fifty third in steals Bronnie James. The fifty fifth pick is forty eighth in points Bronnie James. The fifty fifth pick is fifty sixth. So, in other words,
playing exactly to his draft status. Yeah, well, those are garbage time minutes. What does that really mean? What's he doing in the G League twenty one to five and five in the G League regular season thirty four minutes per game on forty five thirty nine splits. So I think some of the frustration is the Lakers took in the first round last year Jalen hoods Chaffino, who is let me check his G League stats, who is no longer on the Lakers. They didn't even.
Uh what draft?
Yeah, last year's draft, he got waived or moved I don't even remember.
And he is this year.
I don't know, not the tip off tournament, regular season in the G League. Sorry, this is taking me a moment. Last year in the G League, the Lakers first round pick again Bronni this year in the G League twenty one, five and five. Last year in the G League, their first round pick. Their first round pick number was he overall? I think seventeen. It was pre twenty. I know because there was a really good player taken right after him. Yeah he was seventeen. Yeah, Pods who everybody in the
Warriors loves, went nineteen. So Brianni this year twenty one five and five is a fifty fifth pick for the Lakers G League team. Jalenhood Chaffino twenty two five and five as the seventeenth pick. So it does feel like, well, we don't really talk about these guys and then this, But that's not what this was about. This actually wasn't about Bronni. And this is the part that I think just should be level set. It was about it kind well two things. One the commentary win and I said
it before, I'll say it again. I really like Steven A. But this is I'm just trying to so I'm not even making as much of a value judgment about this. I'm just trying to kind of set the record straight. When Stephen A did the I'm pleading with you as a father to end this.
That really really bothered Lebron.
And that was why, by the way, Lebron's people called Stephen A and then stephen A made fun of him for it, and so then Lebron handled it himself, which felt to me totally reasonable, and so I didn't really give them stephen A.
It's like you have my number all.
This stuff, Like steven A always says, I'm at the games, I'm around, come talk to me. That's what he did. But the whole when you're talking to a guy who had no relationship with his father whatsoever, and then basically telling that guy in Lebron be a better father, that is going to really really ruffle some feathers. Then when you add to it the fact that we've all kind of memory hold the fact that Bronni suffered cardiac arrest and almost died less than a year and a half ago.
When you have that added kind of anxiety as a parent, which any parent, any parent that's ever had any health scare with any of their kids, and for the best those you know parents out there listening with lost.
A child, I can't imagine.
But for the majority of us, we've never had a health scare like that, but we've almost all had something.
We're super nervous. You can't imagine what it be like.
You get the phone call, your kids getting CPR, so you're you're certainly going to be on at it edge. And then the other piece is this does it feel like there is been? And this is where the leave my son out of it? Part I guess is about Bronnie.
Does it feel like there has been? Is it surprising when you hear Bronnie in the NBA is playing exactly to the level of the fifty fifth pick supposed to when you hear in the G League he is producing exactly to the level the Lakers' first round pick seventeenth overall did last year. Does it feel like that's what's been when they've decided to talk about him in the media, that that's been the topic or that that's been the context part in me? Or does it feel more like
it's been This is a make a wish story. This is a guy who has no business being there and his way out of his depth. And that's the part new Listen. Some of this is just part of being you know, I guess the good side of being bronze kid is you get drafted when maybe you wouldn't have the bad side is even if you, you know, show play up to that level that you earned it, or
that you're earning it, you're gonna get scrutinized. But as Stephen I said, that was apparent confronting a guy about his kid, and I didn't think it was out of line. And I actually think the fact that he did that and then walk down the Knicks, who happened to be steven A's team, right in front of him, it's pretty dope. Sadly, Lebron's now hurt, so Lakers, I would say, let's just
say he's out the next ten. They should beat Brooklyn, Phoenix, San Antonio, Chicago, Orlando without him, and then if at Milwaukee at Denver.
Home for Denver, home for Milwaukee, can you go one in three?
I guess I'm putting it like this, Six and four in the next ten without Bron would be good. Five and five anything worse, big problem, and seven and three are better is outstanding. Luca can do it, especially if Ruy and Jackson Hazer back.
Luca can do it. But it's on Luca now.
Luckily, you know, at any given night he's the second best player in the league. All right, I'm headed to Vegas. Watch the poker live on this channel Monday. Watch first Things First as soon within thirty minutes the First Thing's First ending, the poker starts, so if you're into it, and then Tuesday will be back here for the pod. Thanks for people working on the week and thanks to Blue Duck Volume everyone, Paul, everybody's helping out. See you guys.
Next time I'll see you guys is on First Things First on Monday. What's Right