Bron's 76ers Looking ELITE, AJ Dybantsa's Wizards Debut & NY'S CONTRACT CRISIS Sets The Arena Off! Part2

0:00 So let's talk about the situation going down the Eastern Conference. So Wizards got the win over the Knicks.

0:04 Of course.

0:04 In MSG, of course.

0:06 Knicks looking to defend their title this season, but things are already looking a little shaky in the Big Apple. So earlier this week, Cat led us to frustrations with his contract extension stalemate, be known, with the Knicks looking for him to take a sizable discount to stay in New York. Josh Hart and Deuce McBride are also extension eligible this season. Jalen Brunson due for a big payday.

0:27 before next season after already giving them a discount in his last deal to be able to put this championship squad together. Like we've mentioned, owner James Dolan has made it clear the Knicks will not be a second-apron team and will do what's necessary to avoid that. So, today, in regards to all the contracts, Dale makes a situation.

0:45 He ain't taking the pay cut, huh? He's not. He's not paying the five.

0:48 Okay.

0:49 Lopez.

0:50 Lopez. I ain't paying the five.

0:52 The two biggest gates in North American sports history were last year's finals. but don't touch that second apron. That's tough.

1:04 Yeah, it is.

1:05 $ 10, 000 seats for section 400.

1:08 Yeah.

1:09 $ 100, 000 bottoms.

1:10 Broke boys beware, but the Knicks.

1:14 Hey, $ 100, 000 bottoms sounds crazy, dude. I'm gonna let you ride. I'm gonna let you cook.

1:19 So the Knicks released this statement today in regards to all of the noise centered around their contract extension situations. Said, as an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of. As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.

1:46 And then.

1:48 And then when a player comes out and he's not happy, he's upset, everybody's like, well, why are you acting like that? Because, man, like everybody wants to be compensated fairly for the work that they put in. To just say, hey, we're not even going to negotiate anymore. You want me to go out there and do my job? And yes, you get paid handsomely to go do that. But there's a lot of people in the world that they were in that same situation. It's hard to go to work when they're like, hey, you crushed it last year. We're going to pay you the same exact, so go out there and do it again.

2:16 Or we're going to pay you less. Or pay you less. Or not pay you at all. We're going to give you the same amount of bread that Jalen Dern just got. Obviously more years on the deal for Dern, but that's how we look at you.

2:27 200 mil. Big per. Big bodega.

2:31 What you got to say, Mike? All championships get you paid. Normally they do.

2:38 Obviously not. They never do. I mean, like I said, this second apron is real, though. These teams are not going to touch it. So if he doesn't do it, they're going to find a comparable player and they're going to swap him out or OG's going to get traded. The only guy on that roster that is completely safe is Brunson.

2:58 You sure? So when he has to sign his new deal, you're not going to be telling him to take a pay cut too? Again?

3:04 And like I said, that's why Brunson already took a pay cut.

3:06 I know.

3:07 And so.

3:09 That plays into the narrative. Like, see, Brunson took a pay cut. We won a championship. And then they walk over there and they be like, yeah, man, you should do what Brunson did. And I just, I'm with you. I don't think players should take pay cuts. I don't think Karl-Anthony Towns, how much money they want.

3:23 Him to take? 76.

3:23 Closer to 77 million.

3:27 We're talking about, and I understand we're talking about championships, but let's not get it twisted. This is the entertainment business. The business part needs to be talked about more. $ 77 million is generational wealth. Asking somebody to turn down generational wealth is insanity.

3:46 I don't... Especially in New.

3:48 York City at 13% state income tax.

3:50 Ooh. Boy, that's that financial background right there. You see how quickly he spit that number out?

3:55 That was good.

3:57 Hot toy.

3:57 No, but it does.

3:58 Like, if you're in Texas or if you're with no state income tax, maybe you can finagle the numbers and lie to the player a little bit But when you start talking about $ 20 million, I.

4:09 Mean, $ 70.

4:10 Million over the course of this thing, just in state income tax, man, you're getting crushed on that.

4:14 So $ 200 million....

4:16 You're talking about $ 13 million of that just coming out of that? Like, that's impossible. No shit, more than that. It's about $ 26 million coming out of that. That's a real number, man. If everybody out there was hearing these crazy numbers saying, oh, but I could do it off of $ 200, 000 or whatever, like you said, that's my point.

4:32 Just think about your regular job. You wouldn't do it at your own job. If someone told you, you got to think about this, at your job, imagine you putting in all the work that you're putting in, coming in early, doing this, And they're telling you to take a pay cut for somebody else over in the rest of the department.

4:53 That's what this really is. It's my top two guys. I'm telling them to take pay cuts for people who don't even work harder than them. They don't demand as much effort as them. It's not the tire, not the engine, right? This is the... The nuts, some of the nuts on the goddamn, the tire.

5:16 You know, it'll put the little, not.

5:17 The nuts in the bolts.

5:18 No, not even the motherfucking nuts in the bolts. That little shit that closes the tire gap.

5:22 Oh, yeah.

5:23 The little air thing. Some of them are windshield wiper fluid. Right?

5:29 I mean, if my.

5:30 Shit ain't dirty, goddamn it, I don't really.

5:32 But, again, yeah, it.

5:33 Completes the car, but you're not the most important part. But I got to take a pay cut for you.

5:37 Yeah.

5:38 But this is the team you own, and if you win, this is the hard problem with, and this is what Cat got to understand. You're dealing with a guy who, no matter what, win or lose, that championship didn't change shit for that man's pocket. With a losing record or not, the same motherfuckers you've been seeing for the last how many years? 30, 30, 40 years. They've been season ticket holders.

6:10 That gym has been packed every year, every game like clockwork. And when he sells that team, he's going to get $ 15, $ 30 million from the team.

6:24 Billion.

6:24 No matter how many championships he has or not. So you're negotiating with a guy... that don't need to negotiate with you. No. And nobody's wrong in this case.

6:35 Like, because the owner can do what they want, the player can do what they want, but we should never villainize the players for standing up for what they've earned. Because these are the rules set in place. He qualifies for the Supermax. He was a really good, he was a great high school player. He was a good college player.

6:52 He's been a phenomenal Hall of Fame NBA player. He is due this money. If you don't want to pay him, that's fine, but I don't have to sign this either. You know what I'm saying? And I'm not the villain in this situation. I'm not being greedy. I have worked, I have accomplished these numbers. This is what I am due. Now, if somebody else decides to take less money, good for them.

7:13 But don't expect that from me.

7:15 And that's the problem. It's like fan bases get lied to, they get tricked, and they believe, well... Jalen Brunson took less, so Carl, you should take less, too. Carl said, nah, forget that. I ain't Jalen Brunson, okay?

7:26 I'm a different.

7:26 And Carl Anthony Towns should not take a dime less than what he feels he's worth because he was an integral part of a championship run. Knicks hadn't won a championship in 50-plus years. So when that man says, I want 276, no, he shouldn't take 76 million less.

7:43 And if the Knicks want to let him go, that's fine.

7:45 But what I need fan bases to realize is that doesn't mean that the player is selfish. That doesn't mean that the player doesn't care about winning. Those are the stories that the billionaires want you to hear and think. So you start looking down on the millionaires. James Dolan is worth two plus billion dollars. And if he ever sells the Knicks, good Lord, he's going to make 30 billion.

8:07 Right now you're saying I want Carl Anthony Towns to take 70 million less. That's going to be $ 70 million less going to the Anthony family. But James Dolan is not going to pass on not one single dollar.

8:19 That's what I was going to say.

8:21 James Dolan is not going to pass on one single dollar worth of discount to the fan base. Your season tickets are actually going to go up because they won a championship? The sweet prices are going to go up. That popcorn might be extra buttery, but the prices are going up. Parking's going up. There has never, ever been an owner that won a championship and said, you know what?

8:41 Since this player gave me a discount, fans, half off this year. It don't happen, and that is why Carl Anthony Towns shouldn't take the dime left.

8:48 Or throw him a curveball. All right, deal. You want to take 70 less?

8:53 Fine.

8:53 Give it all to charity. We'll meet in the middle.

8:55 Dolan's like, all right, I get a charity. Hey, Trump, what's your charity? What's your charity, Trump? The James Dolan Foundation.

9:03 To help the rich get richer. And in Cass' defense, Cass has said that, according to reports, that he'll take less.

9:08 Just not 76.

9:08 I ain't taking 76.

9:09 Because if you're a Knicks fan, This man has given up millions of dollars and want to stay here and help your team.

9:13 If I'm called, hey, hey, listen, listen. Uh-uh.

9:17 Listen.

9:17 Oh, God. This is never good.

9:20 Every time Gil says listen, nothing good comes out after listen.

9:23 This is media controlled. They've been doing it for years. Uh-uh. This is a chance where you can bring the New York fans on your side. How?

9:33 Remember, the New York fans.

9:36 Got charged extra. to watch y'all play, right? Remember them top seats that used to be what? $ 300? Motherfuckers had to pay 10 grand for that. The owner did that. He did that. Won't you? No, no, no.

9:50 The owner did that. The ticket market did that. No, no, no.

9:52 No, motherfucker.

9:53 The ticket market did that.

9:54 Flex pricing. Every NBA team now is flex pricing. Yeah, you get to charge your own shit.

9:58 There's a market. So as soon as.

10:00 the tickets start jumping up, the tickets from the team, they follow a marketing trend. So every NBA team now is flex pricing. And on top of that, when you go to market, they give you a certain allotment of tickets and they allow players to buy more at face value. They took that away from the Spurs.

10:17 Yeah, you really think Indiana was charging $ 10, 000 for that? Hell no. You better pay full price for this shit. Yeah, full price of one grand.

10:26 It ain't Sade, it's Sadie. You know the band's name, by the way? Sade is the band. That's not the individual person.

10:34 The singer? Yeah.

10:35 Her name is not Sade? I think it is, but that's the band's name. Oh. I never saw it on Wikipedia. I never knew that.

10:40 Me neither.

10:41 Why do you know that? I don't know.

10:42 Random Facts with Jared Jeffries.

10:43 That could be a show. That could be a show.

10:45 Random Facts with Jared Jeffries.

10:49 Did you convince him to name the band.

10:50 In her life?

10:51 Yeah, see?

10:52 If I'm Carl, what I'll do is I'll say, you know what? I'll take half. Let's just say I'll take 230. But because this is what I'm worth, I want to use that money in ticket sales. First couple games, whatever, playoffs, whatever, it's free tickets for the New York fans.

11:13 Oh, man, you'd be a legend. Legend.

11:16 And guess what? All right. They only giving me 230, so the rest of it's.

11:20 Coming out that motherfucker's pocket.

11:21 Listen, they ain't doing that. I know Dolan ain't doing that.

11:25 Because there's no profit.

11:28 Right? Because I lose the $ 40 million anyway. I'm just publicly saying where I want it to go.

11:33 And nor should he because he's the owner. He can do whatever he wants. But don't make it seem like the players are big. That's the only problem I got with it. You can say greed. You can say whatever. They're allowed to do whatever you want. You own the team. but don't make the players into the villain. That's not fair.

11:49 I am.

11:49 Now it's an interesting game of chicken that's about to be played because Cat has that player option at the end of the season that'll put them on the second apron. But he can say, I'm not signing no extension. Now we get to this trade deadline. Somebody's going to be sweating on both sides. But for him, it's the risk of.

12:04 I'm not... Listen, there's no... You think Dolan cares? What do you think? He got a championship. He finally got one. You don't give a fuck? I got a championship. I don't need two. The fuck I need two for? It does not do anything to my legacy. Your niggas don't like me anyway. They have never liked me. Right, so it's not like I got to really do anything for you.

12:29 I'm going to be the same prick I was before. Now y'all just get to celebrate.

12:33 Cat's in a great spot because if they don't do this, there's no chicken involved.

12:37 They don't do this. A team, Cat probably has....

12:41 Five teams lined up right now that would trade for him. And it's just like Trey Young's deal. Everyone's like, Trey's not getting maxed, Trey's not getting maxed. If a team trades for you and you have that option, you're going to get the max. You're going to get it just because they're adjusting their numbers to get you into that role. Like, Trey had that deal negotiated before he was even traded.

13:00 When they're making those phone calls... They're like, hey.

13:03 Allegedly.

13:04 Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly.

13:08 That's the first time I've heard you support the allegedly.

13:11 Yeah, man. Allegedly. Allegedly. They called the agent. Ain't no LeBron allegedly now.

13:21 They called and they're like, hey, if we do this, are you willing to do this, this, and this? The agent and the team you're going to, it's already done. And then once you're there... He's in a good spot. So Cat, if he doesn't get traded, he'll opt in. Or if he gets traded, he'll get the max.

13:39 Listen, Cat's going to get his money. Cat's coming off of 20-12 championship run. He had some big-time moments in the finals against Wimby early on in those games. Not so much in the fourth quarter, but early on. He was doing everything that we wanted Chet to do as far as going at Wimby.

13:55 Bodying him strong enough.

13:57 Physically challenging him. You know what I'm saying? So teams see that. He's a multiple-time all-star player. Only 30 years old. The Knicks understand, listen, either we got to pay him or trade him. Cat shouldn't take a dime less than what he thinks he's worth.

14:10 So that brings me to my next question. Do you think Cat will be a New York Knick?

14:14 No.

14:14 Yes.

14:15 After Black History Month. Is he taking a pay cut? Like I said.

14:20 It depends. Do it before MLK Day, Gil.

14:24 I don't know what's being said behind, but if they shut down negotiations until after the season.

14:29 I.

14:29 Don't think it's after the season. They said they're going to negotiate at some point in the season. So they still are negotiating right now.

14:35 How the fuck does that even make sense?

14:38 Zero. We're going to.

14:39 Why are we shutting down negotiations now, but we're going to pick them up after Thanksgiving?

14:43 That's my point. Now you're talking that white man talk right there.

14:46 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

14:47 Before the season ain't started yet, this is when we're supposed to talk so nobody gets frustrated out there. There's no, I don't want to talk right now. I want the pressure to hit your black ass on them course. You go 10, you score 10, you got three points, five points, you foul out. You do all that dumb shit that I'm hoping that that money is doing to you. I want you to have a Clay Thompson year. So then I can come back to you. Hey, you know that money we was talking about? The money. Yeah, I need you to take that pay cut. Or we can just keep on going the way we going on and you're going to lose value. Because I can tell you right now, people going... Them second options going into that year, they

15:32 don't play the same way.

15:34 The only thing that he has is that with their ability to play chicken with him because he completely hamstrung the organization if he opts in. Because now they have to make a trade this summer coming into it. So, like, he's in a good spot where he either is traded and makes his money or... I'm opting in. And now Josh Hart is out of there. OG is out of there. McBride, somebody's leaving because they need to get his number down to like 48. So they need to figure out how to get 13 million of his number off to be able to give everybody their pay. And Josh Hart got the team option for 22, I believe.

16:15 22? Yeah. Good Lord. Yeah, man. Yeah, he getting traded in the middle of the season because they're going.

16:21 To start off rough.

16:22 Why are they going to start off rough?

16:24 Everybody does, man. Like, except... It's all over.

16:27 Last year, now you got somebody worried about money, and we ain't even gonna... I don't even wanna.

16:31 Talk to you.

16:32 I'll say this, though, for Karl-Anthony Towns. He might be worried about the money, but he looks like he has the right approach. Have y'all seen him? This is the thinnest that.

16:39 I've ever seen Karl-Anthony Towns.

16:41 Hey, stress.

16:41 Huh? Stress. Stop that.

16:43 But I'm just saying, like, a lot of guys win a championship, and they party, they kick it, they come back heavy, out of shape. Karl-Anthony Towns got married, out there going all around the globe with his wife, and now he comes back in great shape.

16:57 Why are you laughing? Because you did all that, then you're about to get an extension of 278. Let's get married, let's go around the globe, let's have fun.

17:05 I'm just saying, I'm just saying, I think that he's in the right mental space to come in here and play well. And I think the Knicks, they understand. They got real guys that are real vets that understand. Like Brunson, Hart, OG, these are low-maintenance guys that really get it. So I don't think the Knicks are going to get off to a slow start. And Carl is in great shape.

17:27 Shout out to Big Bodega.

17:28 The Big Bodega. How many shots did he take last game?

17:32 In the preseason?

17:32 Yeah.

17:33 Why do we care?

17:34 It's the preseason.

17:34 It's preseason.

17:36 He probably play like he can give a fuck.

17:37 I ain't got my money.

17:40 You know how, you know who we are.

17:42 That player option, that's why that player option is such a monster because you really do control, like, you really do control it.

17:50 Like, it's the only time I can say, fuck you today and fuck you tomorrow.

17:56 Hey, man.

17:57 I get to sit here and not... And then opt in to some shit that fucks.

18:02 You up anyway.

18:03 To answer Joe's question, I think the Knicks start off well. I'm not going to say they're going to be the hottest team in the league, but I think they start off well, and I think Karl-Anthony Towns eventually gets his... I think they eventually work this out unfortunately, will he get the 276?

18:15 Probably not. I don't think he wants the 276. I mean, I'm sure he does, but I'm saying.

18:18 I think they're going to compromise and they're going to figure out a number that he feels comfortable in.

18:23 Did they compromise with Durant? Or did they stick to the same fucking 200 for five, seven days? But he didn't have a player option and the ability to put them into the second apron.

18:34 That's the difference. They're going to have to come to Cat. They have to get that starting number.

18:39 So....

18:41 Under a certain amount. They're under a certain amount. So that's the problem is. So that's, if he's at 61, they're trying to get his starting number to like 48.

18:49 And what does that start with?

18:50 So it'll be like a 12.5% increase. So it'll be like 48. What's that?

18:58 52.

18:58 52.

18:58 Then it'll be there. So his number, it'll be able to keep it under the second eight.

19:02 So that's what, that's like a 210, 215? Yeah. But.

19:08 But he's taking a haircut on the front end. They could also go, like, I don't know if you can do decreasing on third-year extensions.

19:16 Maybe you can.

19:16 Are you still allowed to front-load contracts and defer? I don't know.

19:21 Can you defer money? Well, you can.

19:22 There's only three guys in the league right now that have some deferred money, but it still counts on your books.

19:27 As the expense.

19:27 Oh, it does? Yes. It counts on your money.

19:30 Ooh.

19:30 Okay.

19:31 We talked about that the other day.

19:33 Baseball, you can do it, and only a percentage, like Otani, only a percentage counts against your cap Basketball, no matter what is deferred, that whole number counts on the cap.

19:44 Wow. Yeah.

19:46 There's no way, unless you're the Clippers, there's no way to circumvent this thing. It's very difficult, and it's gotten more complex. This last CBA made it very, okay, you should not be able to do five-year extensions for rookie skill deals. You're only allowed to do five-year extensions for two guys. on your roster, now it's unlimited. So if you look around, all the rookie extensions are all five extensions because those are more team-friendly because you have the cost certainty because the cap is jumping 10% every year.

20:14 So at the end of that five years, you're looking at a $ 30 million deal translating down to a $ 15 million deal. Like the mid-level, when we played the mid-level was six, the mid-level was going to hit $ 19 million in three years. So if you're just an average NBA player and you play every single night and you're like a, you know, top starter key reserve, make 19 million bucks.

20:35 Gotta love it, baby. Only in America.

20:37 Much more than a host. That's always available.

20:40 Yeah.

20:40 Always down to work hard. Moments noted. For the team championship.

20:44 I mean, I seen you in here grinding when your back was hurting, Joe.

20:47 Do my back out, putting my jaws on.

20:49 Even plays hurt.

20:51 He's probably the highest paid host. He's probably the highest paid host. All the hosts, we get together.

20:56 I doubt that.

20:57 We have our own group chat.

20:58 Okay.

20:59 Shout out DJ.

21:00 Shout out the other hosts out there doing their thing. Let's keep this thing moving. We'll shift over now to the Western Conference. Thunder's title defense may have fallen short in the Western Conference finals to Wimby and the Spurs, but OKC and their back-to-back MVP SGA want respect entering this season. During an interview with Time Magazine, SGA had this to say about his standing in the league. So let's see what he said. I think I'm the best player in the NBA. I think the production that I have night in and night out is best player in the NBA production. I think the efficiency that I do it at is best player in the NBA efficiency. I've done my fair share of winning in these past couple years.

21:40 So SGA, 18th player to win at least two MVP awards, 14th to win them in back-to-back seasons, one of 11 guards in league history to win MVP, first guard to go back-to-back since Steph in 2016. SGA finished second in the league in scoring last season, 31.1 points per game, shooting a career-high 55% from the field. Also had a career-high 6.6 assists per game, along with 4.3 rebounds. Joins MJ as the only guard in NBA history to average 30 points while shooting 50% from the field in four straight seasons. Only guard to average 30 while shooting over 55% from the field. So Brendan, we'll start with you. Is SGA spitting or tripping, saying he's the best player.

22:17 In the world, or in the NBA? He's spitting for sure.

22:19 We're talking about a two-time MVP coming off a year where he averaged 31-7. We're talking about a finals MVP. He has all the hardware, all NBA. He competes on both ends of the court. He's one of those guys that's like, listen, he's got the clutch rating, everything else, gets to the free throw line, even though some people might not like that. But when you look at SGA, and I'm glad he said it because I hate, this is another narrative I hate. I hate that people feel like you have to be humbled. I don't feel you have... Like, listen, if you put in all that time to be great, you're putting all that gym time, all the time away from your family. If somebody asks you if you think you're the best, I don't have to say, well, you know,

23:00 that's not for me to say just because it might hurt somebody else's feelings.

23:03 If you think.

23:04 If you put in the time to be the best... And when I turn on the TV, you look like the damn best. I think you should be able to say that. I have no problem with SGA feeling like he's the best player in the league when it comes to winning over the last couple of years. He's been winning at a high rate, regular season and postseason. He has the hardware. He has the MVPs. He competes defensively.

23:22 So when I look at him, I'm like, yeah, I think he should be. And quite frankly, I think.

23:26 If J-Dub and A.J. Mitchell weren't, was A.J.

23:30 Mitchell?

23:33 If J-Dub and A.J. Mitchell weren't hurt, I think they would.

23:35 Have beat the Spurs.

23:36 And I think they would have been a better matchup for the Knicks. I think OKC would have been a better matchup. So I have no problem with SGA saying that he's the best player in the league because, quite frankly, I believe in it.

23:46 I believe he is.

23:47 But I know some people be like, you shouldn't say it.

23:48 You should let other people say it for you.

23:50 Forget that, man. Being humble for what?

23:53 He's Canadian.

23:54 That was humble.

23:56 That's when he needs to be a little bit more American.

23:58 He's Canadian with the American Negro tendencies.

23:59 He'll spend a lot of time playing basketball.

24:02 On the stage. That was humble.

24:05 Because he used.

24:06 The words, I think.

24:07 I think, yeah. I think.

24:08 Not I am. I am is that Kobe talk. That's I am the best player in this league. So there's no question. When you say I think, you're still trying to tiptoe around people's feelings. If you just said, I am the best. Back to back.

24:26 I won it.

24:26 I took it from somebody and I defended it. Right. I am the best until someone proves otherwise. That's that when when when he starts understanding what she does, because he's he's using words that he knows, like, all right. Yeah, but he he's right. And he's he's really good.

24:48 He's great.

24:49 He's he's what he's doing. I played guard. I watch guards, right? I understand what makes a guard really unstoppable. That motherfucker is a mastermind at human behavior. He understands how to make you bump him. He understands where referees are. Like, I'll see him do a move where he knows this ref can't see him. He'll hook it, right? And then when he gets into an angle, he'll pull off it just so that ref... Like, he understands the game.

25:25 where it took.

25:27 Others 29, 30, 31 before they really mastered the details of the game. The claim for is he the best in the league, he's arguing yes. There is another person out there who's a master at it too. You still have LeBron, you still have Jokic, you still have Steph Curry, yes. But when you're talking about dominating just game after game after game after game, It's him and Jokic making that claim, and I'm not the one to say who is who.

26:00 There's a Frenchman as well that... Get the.

26:03 Fuck out of here. Damn! Why so... Hold on. They say I'm the best in the NBA.

26:10 Damn, but why are you so... Why are we so aggressive?

26:14 This is why this question is always so loaded, because where people come from is different. Is it most valuable in the NBA? Is it the best player in the NBA? Is it, you know, the winningest? How people, like, they put different ratings on it.

26:28 I think SJ's the best combo of all three of those.

26:32 Things you just named.

26:34 The most valuable player in the league by a mile is Victor. Like, not even close. Just age, trajectory, where he could go. The best player right now in the NBA is Shea.

26:43 Like, he is.

26:46 Nikola is right there with them. I think Nikola, I was just at training camp, Nikola's going to have a monster year. I've never seen him in this kind of shape. Nikola might have a year this year that we look at and we're like, I saw that. I was alive to see that. Nikola might have a 34, 12, and 12 year.

27:01 Woo!

27:04 No, no, no. He's in that kind of shape. He's taking the game. He always gave that rope a dope. He doesn't care. He's obsessed with basketball.

27:12 I know.

27:12 He's one of the best guys in the world. He's a team first guy. He's everything. He's our generation's Tim Duncan. So you got Nicola as the best player in the league?

27:19 No, I think Shea is. Okay.

27:21 I think Shea is. But I'm saying that I think Nikola is just that one. He's just a little bit below because I think Shea is a better defender.

27:29 Hold on.

27:30 Why are you so dismissive of Wimby?

27:32 I ain't saying I believe Shea. I don't like to use that defensive shit because I'm a better passer. So how does that equate? You're a better defender. I'm a better passer.

27:40 Their whole defensive identity in San Antonio is based around women shutting down.

27:44 I'm not talking about women.

27:45 No, no, no.

27:46 You're talking about Shea and Nikola.

27:47 I'm talking about Shea and Nikola. You're a better on the defensive end. I'm better on the passing end. We both are sitting here. I just think that with Nikola....

27:56 He is my favorite player in the league. I think Nicola should have five MVPs.

27:58 Yes. I agree.

27:59 I think that voter fatigue is terrible.

28:02 Yeah.

28:02 That's awful.

28:03 That's a real thing.

28:04 It's an awful thing that I can be a big that's had average of triple-double two years in a row and I did not win MVP.

28:10 That's a wild thing.

28:11 But not that Shea didn't deserve it because now we're putting team success when Nicola won it before when they were the fourth or fifth seed he won it one year.

28:17 But anyway, neither here nor there.

28:19 I'm saying that you have to special build a team around Nikola because of his deficiencies. As a position player with Shea, he can at least fit the mold as guarding the one, two, and three, and sometimes four. Nicola, just a little bit below right now, but if Nicola comes in with the efficiency that he's had in previous years, he took a small dip last year, then I think he can be the best player again next year. Yeah, they're arguing. Those two are arguing. Yeah, I agree. But the most valuable player is Victor.

28:49 Valuable.

28:50 Yeah, he's the most valuable. If you did a redraft of the whole league right now, a thousand out of a thousand people are taking Victor number one.

28:57 Especially when you look at what he does, their whole defensive identity is based on him shutting down the paint. If you watch how aggressive those guards get as far as getting up into guys and closing out, because we're not going to let you shoot no threes. Because we know when you're running this paint, you're scared of the big fella. We said earlier, how many times have you turned on the game? guard catches the ball at three.

29:16 You see Castle close out tight. And then soon as he gets blown by, his man goes into the lane and he sees Victor and he's like, nah, let me drive out and kick it to the wing. And now that team gets a bad possession. That is mega valuable. Victor won't get a stat for that. He won't get a block. But anytime you can just be in the paint and a guy has a wide open layup and.

29:36 He sees you coming, he's like, nah.

29:38 Because most of the time, NBA guard when they see that lane and they see a crack, if they see the guard on the other side, big on the other side, let me try to get there.

29:45 Let me try to beat him. They're not even.

29:47 trying to challenge him sometimes because they understand what the end result's going to be because they've seen it so many times in these eight, nine, ten block games that Victor has had. So what Victor does defensively is you can't put a price tag on that.

30:00 He's unique in that aspect.

30:02 Nobody shuts down the lane in the NBA like Victor Wiminyama right now.

30:06 No, I mean, and, but when you're talking about Go ahead. Best player in the league?

30:11 I said Shea's the best player.

30:12 Oh, I was going to say.

30:13 I said Shea is the best player in the league. He said Victor's the most valuable, and I agree with that. But I believe Shea's the best player. Then we're going to see what Jokic does this year. Jokic and Shea are battling. But when we just say, yo, dog, one man is responsible. for why this team is the best defense.

30:31 The Spurs were the best defense in the league. One man makes it so that their guards can get aggressive and we shut down the paint.

30:38 That's huge.

30:39 His defense is that great where you can put him in the conversation of best player in the league? Yes.

30:46 According to Square Media, he had the best defensive season of all time.

30:51 Say that again, Jones.

30:52 I don't agree with it. You're saying his defense....

30:59 Is so good, it is putting him as one of the best players.

31:04 Yeah.

31:04 Also finished third in the MVP voting. I will say this. The defensive metrics that they do now, it's terrible. Akeem Olajuwon, Bill Russell, those guys, the way they impacted the game defensively, Kareem early on in his career, unheard of. But victory last year, yes. It was phenomenal to see what he was able to do. Like, guys this year, the NBA is in such a good spot. Guys this year that are going to have monster seasons, I think Luka's going to have a monster year. I think Luka's going to...

31:33 Because scoring has opened up so much.

31:35 Hey, man, you see how slim Luka is?

31:36 Yeah.

31:36 Hey, man, Ozempic Luka is going to be a problem for people, man. Ozempic Luka is going to be moving different. I think Luka's going to have a monstrous year. I think Giannis is going to be shot out of a cannon. I think Giannis is going to average... I think Giannis is going to be like 30, 12, five assists, two blocks, two steals.

31:52 Like, something just.

31:53 Because I think all these.

31:55 60% field goal. Yeah, exactly.

31:56 I think all these guys now, they feel it, and the competition level is there as far as who's the best player in the league. I think Nikola had a stranglehold on it. Shea came in, and I think Victor wants it. I think Nikola feels Victor coming up behind him, and Nikola has so much pride that he is the best player in the world, and he's setting his stamp as the best offensive center of all time. He feels Victor, and he's like, no, not yet. And also, I know you're talking about.

32:23 Defense, let's not act like this guy averages 25 points in under 30 minutes a game to go along with 11 rebounds. So it's not the fact that it's just defense. I'm just saying what makes Wimby so valuable is that, yeah, the offense is 25 and he's shooting at a good percentage and he's rebounding at a high rate. But then on top of that, we based everything we do defensively on one man shutting down. His paint presence allows us to be aggressive at the three-point line.

32:50 Okay, okay, I get it. Don't sound like you get it. It don't sound like you get it. You don't like defense. You don't like defense, dude. No, I like defense when it's defense. You being taller than everybody and longer can, that's defense. Or do you know how to position yourself?

33:09 Defensively, right?

33:11 So when you're talking about understanding how to take plays away before they happen. You can see somebody getting beat, and you know how to get there, so you don't put yourself in position to get a foul or something. You don't think the.

33:23 Defensive player of the year knows that?

33:25 Fuck no. Man, what gives you a watch? Every single one of them. Man, hell no. Every single one of them. That's why he has to try to block everything, because he can't see it coming. He can't see a spin. Back door, he's over here hugging. He has to try to go block it because he didn't stop it before.

33:42 He's still getting his conditioning down.

33:43 He's still trying to understand what it is.

33:46 I will say this.

33:47 You know what I'm talking about.

33:49 We have not seen the best. We've seen 50% of what Victor's going to be. And that's scary because I agree with you. You watched him in the finals last year. He got so fatigued. They actually couldn't play Luke Cornett. They needed more minutes for Victor, and he couldn't do it.

34:04 Not at that level.

34:05 And that makes sense.

34:07 That makes total sense because I just said he plays under 30 minutes a game.

34:11 Yeah. In the regular season.

34:13 Then in the regular season. And then in the playoffs, they said, hey, man, we need you to play 40 harder. And playoff minutes are harder.

34:18 Yeah.

34:19 We talked about that all season. Was I going to come bite him in the ass in the postseason? I need you to pick it up.

34:23 He'll get there. He'll get there.

34:24 But if we're just talking about his defense, playing under 30 minutes a game for his career, he's averaging 3.5.

34:30 So let's round up.

34:31 Basically four blocks a game.

34:33 You can't round up blocks. I can't round up blocks.

34:35 I'll let you round up. I'll let you round up. I will do it. I will defend my big man. You will allow it.

34:42 I'll let you.

34:43 I'll let you. I'll let you do it. You want to run the blocks? No, no, no, no. There's a difference between defense and jumping the block shots. Right? You remember the argument that we had? What argument was that? Hey, we're a better defensive team with Brendan. Right? You know how to hard show. You can see somebody. Hey, front him, front him, front him. Don't let him come back here.

35:04 He's not there yet. He's getting tired defensively because he's trying to deny that. He knows the play is coming here, but he's going to sit there and rest. They're going to do it. Now he's going to run and then try to block the shot.

35:17 They're going to fake it here.

35:18 Like Rudy Goldberg did the same thing too. They had Draymond Green as a coach. They said, hey, understand what the play is so you know When they come here, this is decoy play. So don't run up here to do this because they're going here. They're going to swing it. He's going to go back door. They'll call that play out before to say, you know what?

35:42 I'm not going to bite here.

35:42 I'm going to sit here.

35:43 You know what?

35:44 I'm going to hang in the middle. You're not going to come here already. He don't deter nobody from coming because he wants to block shot. He's like JaVale McGee. I do that pick and roll. When I come off the pick and roll. What would JaVale do on the pick and roll? I don't know.

36:03 I don't know where we're going with this. This is the instructional portion of our show.

36:07 He'll do just like this, right? When I come off the pick and roll, he's going to open up so I can do what? Drive so he can run and go block. Because he wants to block. He wants to block so he'll give me the lane to get the block.

36:21 Victor will get more.

36:23 Victor is just like the offensive player progresses in life.

36:27 They get more efficient.

36:29 Victor defensively will become more efficient at angles, won't pick up silly fouls as he gets in better shape. He also, like, he takes weightlifting serious, and I think the best version of Biggs is interior 25. I think that... I think at 25, he's going to be... Like, he already doesn't foul. I think he's going to be, like, that one year Hakeem had that year, we averaged, I think he averaged five blocks. He averaged, like, five blocks, two and a half steals. I think Victor is that kind of, like, defensive player.

36:55 When I look at Victor... And I understand what you're saying defensively. Listen, does he call out every play like Draymond Green?

37:01 No.

37:02 But when I look at the Spurs being as young as they are, a young team having the best defense in the league. based around the defensive player in the league that's only been in the league for like four years. So, like, he understands defense. Does he have it perfected like a 10-year vet?

37:17 No.

37:18 He understands defense. Their whole defense is built around what he does in the paint. And he has been the defensive player of the league. And he also gives you versatility. How many times have we seen, you're talking about what he does as far as just shut down the paint. How many times have we seen him switch a pick and roll and he's with the guard every single step of the way and then blocks their jump shot?

37:36 What he does defensively is elite.

37:39 No, for sure. He does it elite on the perimeter. He does it elite on the paint. And everything the Spurs do from a defensive standpoint is based on what that big Frenchman does in that paint.

37:50 Which is why he's one of the few people in their first couple years are in the conversation of the best player ever. They're talking about like MJ was able to do it, LeBron. What Victor has done early on he has a chance to be the best player ever because we've never seen anybody this size move like that.

38:06 Listen, did you see how bad those Spurs minutes were when Vic wasn't on the court?

38:10 Soon as the.

38:10 First of all, listen, I've never coached, and I don't want to coach, and this is kind of a dig at Mitch, but, like. Just totally, you got to abandon Luke Cornett, man. You got to abandon him. It doesn't matter. Go five smalls, man. Whatever you were doing, it wasn't working. Whatever it was.

38:29 Don't do Luke Cornett like that. God, I love Luke Cornett.

38:32 He's a good player.

38:32 Don't sound like you love him.

38:34 No, he's a good player, but just in those minutes, he was like a minus 20 every time he stepped out there.

38:41 But you're making my point. I understand maybe you have to abandon him. I'm just saying when Victor stepped off the court, teams saw that lane and they were like, you could see it in their eyes. Big fella ain't there? That is why he's in this conversation. He's not in the conversation. And once again, I don't have him in front of Shea. I don't have him in front of Jokic.

38:59 I'm saying the reason why he's that third name is because when he goes to sit down, it's a different type of energy the other team shows as far as getting in the paint because they knew they couldn't do that for the last 15 minutes when he was on the court.

39:11 Because it's 7-7.

39:12 No, because he's 7'7 and he's cold. Bo Bo's 7'7. He ain't shutting up. No Bo Bo slander in here. No Bo Bo slander in here. No Bo Bo slander inside these walls. His flexibility, his ability to move at that.

39:26 Size is insane.

39:28 I just want to see what happens. his offense brings this year. It was 25 a game.

39:33 No, listen to me, man. The fact that he don't have a jump hook, man, is wild. No jump hook can't go right.

39:39 I don't even understand how he has so much office ability.

39:42 He has so much touch around the rim, man.

39:44 He can't go right. Well, I understand.

39:46 Like, he doesn't know... But you know what it is, though? He doesn't... It's all these modern trainers. They want every... Because Kevin Durant has ruined a whole generation of basketball because KD created that Hezo dribble, and every trainer wants every tall person to put the ball in their left hand.

40:01 So now they go left, and they can't go to the rim and finish. So, like, look how many kids... Cooper Flagg, he kind of got better at it, but Cooper Flagg, he only goes left.

40:10 He goes left to spin right.

40:12 Exactly.

40:14 If you get a right, like with you, I knew that if I sent you right, that I had a chance because you were going.

40:21 To go to the rim and you couldn't stop.

40:22 Yeah. So if I knew if I was ever guarding you, you're one of the right-handed. Kevin Durant, I do everything in my power.

40:29 Same thing.

40:29 He might dunk on me, but if he goes right, he's going.

40:31 To the rim.

40:32 But that's always been the defense. I agree with you, but every trainer watches. KD has set up, if you're tall and you want to handle the ball, it's like a copy and paste of KD's workouts. So all of these guys, Chet, Victor, Cooper... Even AJ, they're comfortable with the ball in their left hand because that's their this, and it's easier to do this. That's why Victor can't go right.

40:56 But I agree.

40:57 That's the one area, as much as I'm basically showing Wimby love, glazing as the young people might say, the one area of his game that I think that he has to improve upon, and we saw that in the playoffs.

41:10 Was he 7'5? At the end of the day... What is your move?

41:14 When you're 7'5, On offense, that team at the end of the night, they got a feel that you're 7'5. That was the difference between winning and losing against the Knicks in the championship game. At the end of the game, from 15 feet on in, Jalen Brunson was dominating the game.

41:31 And Wimby was trying to.

41:32 You said where? 15 feet on in.

41:35 From 15 feet on in, Jalen Brunson was dominating with his middies, his pump fakes, all that crappy stuff at 6'2. Wimby at 7'5 was doing step backs sometimes.

41:46 He was shooting threes. He wasn't into paint.

41:48 I mean, he did it last night. He did it last night. It was his opening play. He caught the ball at about 18, 19 feet. He looked at the guy, and the guy had his hands down and just raised up. If he does that, he is on. He should go back and watch all Dirk highlights. That's all he should worry about. From the free throw line. There's really simple.

42:05 Wimby's coming.

42:06 This isn't a critique, but this is when you're going to know it's his league. When he's able to just run down there, get two feet in the bank, I think I heard DeMarcus Cousins say this, just get a little jump hook off, a little touch.

42:18 Shot in the lane, that's an easy shot.

42:20 The second part is when he has that 15 feet on endgame cold, where he's able to catch the ball area, jab, step, you get right to it. No, no, not jab, step, you fade to the three-point line, because that 7-5, if you're taking a fadeaway three.

42:36 The other team is.

42:36 Doing this because we're not scared of that.

42:38 At 7'5, if you can catch and get to a Dirk fadeaway, a jump hook, a quick swipe through, and a drop step in the lane, at the end of the day, when the game slows down in the playoffs, at 7'5, when Wimby starts dominating from 15 feet on.

42:52 In, the league's going to be on notice.

42:54 He will.

42:54 He will.

42:55 And he's going to do it.

42:56 He will.

42:56 He's only, what, 22? Yeah, it's just conditioning right now. I mean, he just gets so tired because he has to fight because he's fighting with dudes that are, he's probably 240 now. But, like, at his peak, he'll carry, like, 280. He'll look the same. Like, KG, we all played against KG. KG looked wiry.

43:14 He was strong. KG was so strong. KG was strong as hell.

43:17 Like, Jermaine O'Neal. Like, those guys, like, everybody gets stronger.

43:21 You know what I mean? Like, everybody does.

43:23 But, Wimby's only 22.

43:23 So, that's the thing. Like, it's not a knock.

43:26 I just, like.

43:26 He can't go right.

43:27 I'm just telling you, he's 22, Gil.

43:29 And you can't go right?

43:31 He's 22.

43:31 His game, what I'm saying is he's at 22 not being able to go right. This man has already been the defensive player of the year. He's already averaging 25 points per game in under 30 minutes.

43:41 First team all NBA.

43:42 He's been first team all NBA and he's been to the NBA finals. I'm not telling you that your critiques aren't valid. I'm saying he's 22. He has a long way to go. We got three to four more years before we get the best version of him.

43:54 And when we do.

43:56 The league is going to be on.

43:57 Notice because defensively, he's probably five, six years ahead of schedule.

44:04 I don't want to do this with you. What? You said Brunson did what? He dominated from 15 feet on in.

44:10 Okay. You caught it yet? Huh?

44:12 You caught it yet?

44:13 What?

44:14 Who was in the paint? defensively stopping all that shit.

44:18 Oh, he couldn't.

44:19 He was too tired at that point. He didn't do a good job, did he? Huh? That little motherfucker that was 6'2 down, he was 15 what? Huh? So he was in this giant space. I got this.

44:30 Don't worry about this big fella. Also, little motherfucker.

44:34 No, no, no.

44:35 I said he was down for 50 feet on end.

44:37 I didn't say he was getting layups.

44:39 He was getting middies.

44:40 He was not worried about the guy you've been talking about. I can tell you that for damn sure. No, he was worried about it. He was looking for it.

44:45 Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa.

44:46 He was worried about it because look at Brunson's field goal percentages them first couple games of the series.

44:49 No, first three quarters. No, listen to me.

44:51 For sure. Go back. He was like 80% in the fourth. Brunson, it was. It was surgical what he did. Yes. He would shoot jumpers, he would, he would shoot mid-range.

45:02 The, the moment they took Victor out, he was able to just lay up, like, like, like I said, and instead of going to a five small where you switch everything and keep Brunson out, they kept putting poor Luke Cornett out there, man.

45:15 But you know what though?

45:16 Like, that's the one thing where I think the Spurs are going to be better this year. Um, They didn't have that next player. Tobias will help. Yeah, Tobias Harris will help. They didn't have that next vet.

45:26 I'm not sure if they didn't feel comfortable playing Harrison Barnes.

45:28 Or Biz MacBiombo. Or you're saying Luke Cornett. At the end of the day, I've got to be fair to Mitch.

45:35 He didn't have a vet that was playing high-level minutes at that point. Tobias Harris will be an underrated pickup for this Spurs team. Because like I said, he's not going to be as strong. You can depend on Tobias Harris. He was the second best player on the Pistons in the playoffs. So you can depend on Tobias Harris in the playoffs because he's.

45:55 A vet that's been through it.

45:56 I thought the Spurs should have went and got Michael Porter Jr.

45:59 I thought that. I thought that that was their play. He's not their style of player. I know. No, no, no. He's not their style of person.

46:06 Yeah, I know.

46:07 I totally agree. Like, all that stuff, but I thought that when they needed it. He got the kids to his podcast if he went there. I know, but could you imagine Michael Porter Jr. with that trio of guards and Victor?

46:19 The spacing would be insane. Oh. Because he shoots the leather off the ball. I was asking about the right. I was like, he doesn't understand his foot placing when he drives right. Oh, yeah. So it's just a weird thing when he goes right, he doesn't actually understand left-right. It's weird. He goes right, and then he just tosses it up and then tries to go. Like, you've seen him do that a whole bunch of times. Every time he goes, he sweeps right. It's a one step. He never comes down to do that.

46:51 Just be calm.

46:51 He goes one, and then he just, like, throws it up there and then tries to catch.

46:55 His own rebound. Like, your son is in this workout thing. What did they teach every single... good shooter back in the day to figure out your foot placement.

47:02 However you do it. Yeah.

47:04 However you get a shot up. There's dudes now that they'll be in the gym, they step in and then hop. They one-two, hop, and then shoot. And I'm like, Aaron Gordon does it. And he's become a great shooter. And I'm sitting there watching him do that. I'm like, that's a travel on every single shot. And they're like, no, it's not. And I'm like, that's definitely a travel. We see that a lot at the youth level, too. Yeah, these trainers are allowing these kids to step into it, hop, and then jump again and shoot. Like, we used to get our step while the ball was in there, right?

47:34 Yes, exactly.

47:34 You watch everybody, the ball's there, and you cut each other.

47:37 I said, why does Cat catch the ball like... Like girls basketball. What?

47:43 Right? Girls basketball. So all girls, all.

47:46 Girls for some reason, well, the elite, elite don't do it, but 90% because, you know, my daughters don't know. Who the fuck is teaching you this? When they catch the ball, if they're right-handed, they catch it like this.

48:00 Where this is their foot leg.

48:02 Yep, 100%. And that's how Cat catches it.

48:04 He catches it. This is his foot leg. It's like, yo.

48:06 Instead of catching the ball with your left leg to be able to push off and go to your right, they have to do everything in reverse. Yeah, so it's this weird thing, and I'm like, you have no power. That's why Cat can't go by anybody. Remember, this is your push-off leg. This is your strong leg, so when you're pushing off, you get to push off.

48:24 They go here. They sit here and do this, and then when they.

48:27 First take off, it's just like, yo, who keeps teaching? Everything has changed. It's like everybody's taught that Step in, hop, hop, shut. And it's like, remember before they said keep the ball here and do this? They all dip the ball. It's a really weird thing that, like, this generation of, like, workout coaches, they just teach everybody.

48:46 I'm sorry, ass niggas who ain't make it in the league. They became coaches.

48:49 They became workout coaches.

48:51 I can't play. I'm going to teach. You teach me what you can't do. Drew Hamlin going to be tweeting at you.

48:56 Drew Hamlin going to be tweeting at you.

48:57 No, no, no.

48:59 I'm going to be real, and this is a thing that I've always said. Most of the trainers that are training and training these moves, what they don't know is you've never did the move in games. You're watching the game. someone do it and you're just teaching it you're not understanding Some moves only work in certain places. They don't work everywhere.

49:30 And for certain people.

49:31 So you just can't teach him to do this move. Now he gets in the game and it's a Jordan Poole thing. He's like, man, why can't I get this off? Because that's not where you're supposed to do that move. There's baseline moves. There's top of the key moves. There's middle of the post moves. Every move you see being done don't mean you just work out the whole workout with it. And none of you guys actually tried this shit in the game.

49:53 Like, in the game.

49:55 So what ends up happening is these guys have this creativity bag, but they don't know how to use it. Some of them are using rocket launchers too close. You know what I mean?

50:08 Like, yo, what is that? I was at Dame's camp. I was their scout like two or three years ago. I don't know the young man's name. But he had a serious injury. He was running full speed in transition and tried the Euro step. And, like, something went, like, either his knee or his Achilles. And it's an example of they've taken him through, like, how to do whatever, but when you put somebody else out there with you that's running alongside.

50:31 You, you can't do that move at full speed.

50:33 You got to slow down.

50:35 And then do it. I mean, he went flying. I was like, is he going to hit it? And it just went. But that's because there's been a trainer.

50:42 Why are you laughing, man?

50:43 Somebody's really hurt.

50:44 No, no, no.

50:45 What's wrong with you, man? No, because what he said is right. They are doing this move with nobody. Why you laughing? Why you laughing? Somebody blew their knee out, man. Because you want to sit there and say, told you.

50:57 But it's like, and I'll say this, it's good because the players now are so skilled. but their feel for the game has diminished to a level that's almost scary. Like, there will be six guys out there with these pad sticks and these little arm.

51:12 Things, and it's one dude.

51:15 And then when he gets in the game, and it's not a dude with a foam stick, and it's a real 6'11, 7-foot dude, now he's shooting a runner off the wrong leg, hitting the side of the backboard. Because in a controlled environment, all that works. You put the speed and physicality of NBA players, there's no substitute for that.

51:30 There just isn't.

51:31 Real talk. I learn something every day on this couch. Hopefully you guys out there do too.

51:35 Get real hoopers.

51:38 Five, six trainers and they can use six, seven. Get in the game.

51:43 Until that dude's seven foot and he can actually move.

51:46 All right.

51:47 Well, it's time to try and finesse some bread on Polymarket. This is Put That On Something. We're going to give you a trade on the Polymarket app and you got to pick a side and put that on something. So defending champion Knicks have high expectations entering the season. But in light of the recent news of them tabling contract extension talks with Kat and Josh Hart. Time to do a little temperature check. So let's take a look at the current futures for the Eastern Conference champion. New York currently has the second best odds to win their second straight Eastern Conference championship. Traders have lost a little hope, though, in recent days. It was at 19%, now at 18%.

52:24 But when I asked you guys again to talk about this a little earlier in the show, Do you guys think that the Knicks will be Eastern Conference champions, break the cycle of the last four Eastern Conference champions actually losing in the previous Eastern Conference championship to advance to the finals?

52:38 Cat needs his money, Gil Sutter.

52:39 Wait, who they got in first? Did I say Philly? Yeah.

52:44 Philly, Philly. You know what? Philly, one of our favorite cities.

52:49 Is Wizards up there? To win a champion?

52:51 To what?

52:52 To make it to the finals.

52:53 It's their conference.

52:54 Worry about your motherfucking job.

52:55 Don't make me make a phone call.

52:56 You know what I mean? You're right. This fake jersey can turn into a real jersey. I just got to call AJ. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

53:04 We have the ninth best odds.

53:06 Who?

53:06 The winners.

53:06 You ain't got to say that out loud.

53:09 Ninth.

53:12 I'm going with New York.

53:13 Oh, you will? Okay.

53:15 I'm going with New York. I'm going with Brunson. I'm going with New York. I'm going with New York, too. Like I said, I like Brunson.

53:20 I like the fact that they brought a lot of their core players back. And they, like I said, they know each other. They understand how to win. And like I said, I think Cat's going to eventually get his money. He's coming in in really.

53:32 Really good shape.

53:33 I'll take the Knicks.

53:34 Big bodega.

53:35 Total outlier. Uh-uh.

53:37 Cleveland Cavaliers.

53:38 Why?

53:38 Hmm.

53:40 I think that James, I think that James, Kenny, I've known Kenny forever. I think Kenny's a good enough coach. I think he's creative offensively. I think he struggled last year and put the ball in James' hands too much late. And when James was struggling, didn't get the ball to Donovan, I think he sees that and recognizes that. I think Peyton Watson gives them a defender that they didn't have at the winged position. And you couple that with Evan Mobley and Jared Allen at the rim, And now you can play small with Peyton Watson at the four and kind of figure out that lineup. I think that Cleveland is my outlier to win the East this year.

54:16 I didn't already pick Cleveland. You picking everybody, didn't you? So when we go back to when it happened, I can pull the right clip. Yeah, yeah, I can pull the clip. Boom!

54:26 Yesterday was Cleveland.

54:27 I knew I was right. I got smart.

54:31 Ladies and gentlemen, that was Put That on Something, presented by Poly Market. Download the Polymarket app. Use code ARENA to get $ 25 in bonus funds where you deposit just $ 10. Make your next move your best move and join the revolution.

54:43 Polymarket. No limits. No house.

54:44 Instant cash out. Some of the most accurate sports odds and forecasts in the world. Gil, it's about that time. 2 o'clock Pacific. 5 o'clock Eastern. People getting off work. Want them to get home to their families. or get home to go to happy hour and turn up. Let's get ready for MostlyFans.

54:59 Is it time already, boys? It's five o'clock somewhere. You sound like a young alcoholic.

55:04 It's five o'clock somewhere.

55:05 Yes, it is.

55:06 That was about two years ago.

55:08 All right, let me put my reading glasses on.

55:13 You know what? You's very disciplined. Who? You are a very disciplined individual.

55:19 Why is that? What'd I do?

55:20 Huh?

55:20 By the fact that I don't drink?

55:22 You don't drink, but that's your man's. He drinks a little.

55:28 Allegedly.

55:28 So the fact that's your man's and you ain't take one, that's fucking discipline. He drinks a little.

55:34 We're about to have one now, Gil. You're about to have one.

55:36 We're here.

55:37 We're in your house. I can't take a loan in your house.

55:39 I can't drink.

55:40 Gil does it. Full bar. Just a stone's throw away. I am.

55:44 We got the Wizards decoration. Again, shout out to our amazing production staff.

55:47 Love it.

55:47 We're getting it done.

55:48 That's a hell of a discipline. All right.

55:50 So we have a question from yesterday that we didn't get to but felt obligated to acknowledge. He put $ 20 in the offering plate. Marcus Richardson, 9198, said, Why is KD always considered the best player in Golden State when Steph was coming off a unanimous MVP and was still the defense's main focus? Ty Lue said Steph was the head of the snake and he still averaged 27, 8, and 8. This is coming from Marcus Richardson. 9-1-9-8. Not to be confused with Marcus Richardson, 9-1-9-7.

56:17 Or 9-1-9-9.

56:18 I mean, with Steph until he won the last one, he did what we talked about. He couldn't score in the mid-ranks. He didn't have a shot to go to. So KD helped push them over the top into dominance in the finals. So as good as Steph was in the regular season, every championship team has to have that guy that can score a bucket when the team has no rhythm and can't get there. And KD gave them that.

56:42 And that's why, you know, KD is considered where he is on those teams.

56:47 I agree.

56:48 But I still think that as far as game planning goes, it was still the Steph Curry-led offense, so teams were coming out there to stop Steph. I think that he was still the most impactful player on that team, even though KD got the MVPs, because still a lot of that motion and everything was based on Steph. And then the space that Kevin Durant got to be that mid-range guy, he never got doubled in those situations because you got Steph and Klay. So, I mean, I still think Steph was the most important and impactful player on that team.

57:17 Okay, important, impactful, and who's better is very different. Correct. So who you got as better? The better player then? Then during that time? When we was trying to see who was the best between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, they were arguing for who was the best player In the NBA? Yeah, no, Steph is winning.

57:41 MVP, but.

57:42 During that time, Steph was a unanimous MVP.

57:44 But when KD came.

57:46 Oh, I get it.

57:47 I get it. You can win MVP. When Michael Jordan lost to the MVP, I'm pretty sure no one questioned who was the best player in the NBA. But it wasn't unanimous. It don't matter what it was. At that time, we know who was the best player. How many MVPs did LeBron have?

58:02 A lot.

58:03 LeBron's probably have eight.

58:04 I know the Derrick Rose MVP definitely should have.

58:08 Went to LeBron. One of the Steph ones should have gone to LeBron.

58:12 I know the Derrick Rose. You go look at the numbers. He had a better year than Derrick Rose that year. So if LeBron would have went there, we know who the best player is. Right. So when we say yeah, you know Katie, I mean, I mean you gotta.

58:25 Realize stuff What happened was is that that first championship Steph got behind the eight ball because he was so it was so tired his shooting took that big slump and They were dying to give him MVP, and they couldn't because he had those two awful games. So then they had to give it to Eagle Dollar, which I'm still not sure. I mean, I would have just gave it to Steph. I would have been like, I would have been like, erase those two games.

58:46 You're fine. Here, Steph, take it.

58:47 I was on that Cleveland team. Everything we did from a defensive standpoint was a show. Man, we were throwing three guys on Steph Curry. No, I agree with you. Listen, Steph Curry was such a problem that year. Coming off of pin-down actions, we had played, we had defensive concepts where it was, Hey, you're trailing Steph.

59:04 You're trapping him. Hey, you're coming all.

59:07 The way over to take away the lob. And we'd be like, so what about that? player on the weak side? We don't care. What do you mean? Like, yeah, we were giving NBA players, I'm talking about butt-naked, wide-open shots in the corner because we got to have three guys. We got to have six sets of eyes on Steph Curry.

59:23 So that's why I'm like, yeah, I know Eagle Dollar got the MVP, but everything that we did that year in Cleveland was to stop Steph.

59:28 I think it should have been his trophy.

59:29 Yes.

59:30 I agree with that.

59:31 Let's keep this moving.

59:32 We got a comment from Patch2Fabric said, what did Jalen Brunson do to Wimby, Mr.

59:39 Wood?

59:39 With exclamation point, exclamation point, question mark. Mr. Wood is crazy. What did Jalen Brunson do to Wimby, Mr.

59:46 Wood?

59:46 What did he do?

59:47 What did Jalen Brunson do? I think you're talking about in the NBA finals.

59:50 I don't think that, I can't say that Jalen Brunson did anything to Wimby, but what he probably showed Wimby is, listen, in high leverage moments, if you want to control offense in the playoffs, it has to be from 15 feet on in. Like, it's hard to win it from shooting step-back fadeaways at 7'6. You know what I'm saying? Jalen Brunt, that's what makes his game so unique. Most guys his size can't dominate in the mid-post. Like, even when Steph won and Isaiah Thomas, when these smaller guards won, they didn't dominate from a mid-post standpoint.

1:00:26 Like, like Jalen Brunson does.

1:00:28 But that mid-post scoring is what traditionally helps win NBA championships when you talk about MJ, Kobe, D-Wade, KD, Paul Pierce, Kawhi.

1:00:38 Like, the list goes on and on. It's guys that dominate from 15 feet on in. I mean, Giannis had to have Middleton.

1:00:44 Chris Middleton, yeah.

1:00:46 LeBron had to have Kyrie. To go back there, LeBron had to have D-Wade. Like, in those titles. Like, if you don't have that guy that can score from that place... Steph is probably the only one in this last championship, but the game has slowed down for him, and he kind of knew where he was going, and he was playing against a young Boston team. That was their first time getting there. If you don't have that guy, that's why centers that actually carry a team because they can make a free throw are so rare, because a lot of times centers can't make free throws. As dominant as Shaq is, I'm sorry, as dominant as Shaq was, he had to have Kobe, he had to have D-Wade.

1:01:22 What he taught him was. The star player takes over the last five minutes. Yep. And your team offense that you use for the first three quarters, you can't do that when the game is on the line. And that's why you always lost it in the fourth quarter because while the star player is controlling every play, your team is still playing regular basketball.

1:01:48 They're trying to figure it out. Yeah, we're like, who did he get.

1:01:50 The ball to?

1:01:50 Okay, I got the fast break. In those situations, the ball always found Darren Fox. And that's not a knock-on. No, that's when they got nervous.

1:01:59 They were trying to do this shit themselves. They were coming down to 104, to 105, trying this shit. And then when it was, oh, shit, we need a bucket, Darren. And he's sitting there like, nigga, I ain't first balling like 45. It happened to Cleveland last year, too. Like, as good as Donovan Mitchell is, It is if he would go in and do all this and then he was like James and everybody's blaming James But James was like, all right, I'll take it and it just couldn't make shots.

1:02:19 You know, I mean, yeah All right.

1:02:21 Well, let's keep this moving We got a comment from one our favorite super chatters put a lot in the offering plate the wizard in Said I predict Miami somehow trading for scoot by the deadline and Philly will be fine Especially with Bob Myers advising all basketball decisions.

1:02:34 Scoot Henderson Scoot?

1:02:36 Scoot Jackson?

1:02:40 Damn! Scoot Jackson? Scoot Jackson? I don't think they can. I don't think, yeah, I'm not sure.

1:02:49 Financially.

1:02:49 I don't think, because Scoot is owed like 12. I don't think they have the, they'd be a super second apron team.

1:02:55 I don't think.

1:02:55 And even still, Scoot doesn't move the needle for Miami.

1:02:59 Nah.

1:03:00 Like I said, we said it yesterday, I'll say it again. Miami needs that same level of closure that we just talked about for, that the Spurs needed to have. Like, they need a guard like that. They don't need a developmental young guard.

1:03:12 Miami needs Cason Wallace. If they can get.

1:03:15 OKC ain't letting Case and Wallace go.

1:03:16 No, they're not.

1:03:17 They can find somebody. There's somebody out there that... They're sold. Financially, it has to be a minimum. It has to be a... That's what I'm saying. But there's the minimum guys out there who are buckets.

1:03:27 But.

1:03:28 And I got to look this up. I'm talking to my boy J.J. Polk with the Chicago Bulls.

1:03:32 J.J.

1:03:33 Will be telling me, I think if you're a first apron team, it takes away the ability to. Pick guys up off the waiver wire. So even if a vet is waived, I don't think that they can pick them up unless they were on a minimum and got waived on a minimum.

1:03:49 Cam Thomas? Was that a minimum? Was that a minimum?

1:03:53 I mean, he's, I mean, I don't even know. Can they pick him up? Yeah, they can.

1:03:56 Teams cannot sign a player bought out or waived during the regular season if that player's pre-existing salary exceeded the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

1:04:03 Amount, I believe. Okay.

1:04:06 That's what it says. Yeah, the non-taxpayer. So he can sign him. Who? Cam. Cam, yeah.

1:04:12 All right.

1:04:12 So we'll keep this moving. We got a comment from Cash. Said, RIP Mike Ditka. Come on, arena.

1:04:18 Sports is sports. Honor a legend. RIP Mike Ditka.

1:04:20 RIP Mike Ditka.

1:04:21 The Bears.

1:04:22 Yeah.

1:04:23 Mike Ditka passed.

1:04:24 Oh, damn.

1:04:24 That's 85 Bears, right? Yeah.

1:04:26 Chunk the eternal deuces.

1:04:28 Super Bowl shot. Yeah, okay. Also, our boy Mitch Butler. Your father, Arthur Lee Butler. Condolences, man. Oh, yeah. Mitch's old man passed, so condolences, Mitch. Mitch B.

1:04:40 Mitch B.

1:04:40 UCLA legend, Wizards legend. Shout out, Mitch Butler. Want to say prayers to you and your family. I was going to pass on your father, Jerry. Thank you for bringing that up as well. We got another comment from The Wizard N. Do y'all think AJ should work with Melo?

1:04:53 Melo who? Melo Anthony? I would hope.

1:04:58 I don't know if he meant Melo Ball or something like that. No, I think AJ has all the moves already.

1:05:02 He don't need to work.

1:05:04 That's not a shot at Melo. He just doesn't need it.

1:05:07 Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I did my six-hour Video watching of Melo. God damn it, he was good. Oh, yes, for sure.

1:05:23 Oh, man.

1:05:23 For sure. Like, the ability. Like, I didn't.

1:05:26 He was one of the most efficient scorers that we're ever going to see.

1:05:28 But I did not know he shot the ball.

1:05:31 He was a great.

1:05:32 Like, his hezy and the little shit that he did.

1:05:35 I was like, damn, I didn't know he was so fast. Like, some of the shit he did, I was like, God. The sad part now is with the emphasis on. advanced analytics and shooting, if somebody played like Melo now, they'd have no value. What?

1:05:51 Hold on, hold on, hold on. You don't understand. Those front officers, dog.

1:05:56 Hey, listen, right now, if you come out here and want to be a mid-range player... Like, they'll talk about you like you can't play.

1:06:04 You can do it. You can do it, but you better shoot nine threes a game also. But that's weird because all our best players are mid-range guys. Yeah, but that's because so few teams get a chance to play in the finals and get... Like, one of the reasons Jalen Brunson didn't have a ton of value was because he was like a post-up, back-to-the-basket.

1:06:20 Slow guard, and they were like, oh, that'll never work. But then, lo and behold, it has. Um... even Kawhi, like, all these guys. Kawhi, Shay, they're all mid-range. Like, Shay, Shay was the 11th pick.

1:06:32 When you go in these rooms and it's the analytics board, What you're saying is right, but they're not listening to us.

1:06:40 They think we don't.

1:06:41 When we start talking about hoop experience and stuff like that, they're like, oh, those guys don't know what they're talking about.

1:06:46 It's all about the numbers. It's all about your plus minus and your true shooting percentage. You got to shoot a certain amount of threes. You can't get to the free throw line and shoot nine threes a game.

1:06:57 So you're telling me that.

1:07:00 Your analytics and the game is done You shot 27 threes to score 108 points. You shot 34 threes to score 114 points.

1:07:13 We scored 114 points with 14 threes in the game.

1:07:14 What it is, though, is what they want to look at is they want to be able to replicate success.

1:07:31 Golden State is the gold standard of what is able to be replicated. So what they did is they went and they said, what is Golden State doing that can be replicated? They looked at the amount of threes that they were taking. Can't replicate it. But I agree with you. But we know that. We know that Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are three of the greatest shooters of all time. So then all these other teams... So they're shooting high 40s from three. Then you get a bunch of guys that are shooting high 30s, and now you're not good and you can't figure out why because you're trying to replicate something. Tim Conley, one of my best friends in the world, he always says when in front of the office, he goes, look, guys, we're going to

1:08:08 follow the rules. You go find the exception. Most other organizations, they want to be the exception. They want to try to find when Dirk Nowitzki hit, there was 100 Skeet and Veelys because, oh, where's the next Dirk? There is no more Dirks. Dirk is Dirk. Don't search out for that. They wanted the next Steph Curry, so they wanted these high-volume shooting guards. It's a copycat league.

1:08:29 And that's why it actually hasn't worked.

1:08:32 It does not work. You can't take the best shooters.

1:08:35 Golden State, Steph Curry has ruined this generation.

1:08:39 No, no, no, he didn't.

1:08:41 That goes back to your original point. If there was a guy coming out in college that just shot mid-range shots like Melo did, they would talk about him crazy.

1:08:49 They did.

1:08:50 Say it. They talk about him crazy.

1:08:53 Hated him. Left the pitch.

1:08:54 They hate him. The free throw merchant.

1:08:57 Exactly.

1:08:57 That's what I'm saying. That's what we're saying. Like, we all had to go against Carmelo. We know what type of dog. We know what type.

1:09:06 Like, listen, man. Man, we used to come to the Verizon Center. You know, he's from Baltimore.

1:09:09 Man, he would give us the blues.

1:09:11 And listen, nothing but a jab step.

1:09:13 Like, ah, ah. Like, but.

1:09:16 The new analytics game, they don't like that.

1:09:20 But that's why they're not winning.

1:09:24 Yes, I agree.

1:09:25 You're not winning nothing shooting fucking 40 to 53s with your mediocre-ass three-point shooter. Bro. This is not Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant.

1:09:36 They don't care.

1:09:37 It's the niggas you got on your team, okay? These are not Supermax superstars. They're regular-ass niggas I wouldn't pass the ball to, okay? Just appeared like that's the problem. You got to take 43s. Imagine our Wizards team. We got to take 43s. You know who has to take that 43s?

1:09:58 Put your hand down.

1:10:00 I'm not serious. No, but no. But you're doing it right. He's like, I got to take him. Antonio Davis is like, I got to take six or seven. But that's what's happening. But that's what's happening now. Everyone is like, I got to shoot.

1:10:10 They don't even consider you a good three-point shooter unless you're shooting eight points a game. So, like, if you're shooting five threes a game and you're shooting 38%, which is respectable, at five, you're a bad shooter. If you're shooting 38% from three and you're shooting nine threes, now you're a good shooter.

1:10:26 Make that make sense.

1:10:27 Yep.

1:10:28 So we got one more comment here. Speaking of losing, yesterday on the show, we had to put that on something with the Thursday night game.

1:10:34 Oh, man. Cowboys, Buccaneers, you guys all picked the Cowboys. No, no, no, no. You guys all picked the Cowboys.

1:10:40 Gerald McCoy, friend of the show. When Gerald McCoy hit it up, I said, damn, Gerald. Can you believe? I said his name.

1:10:45 So Gerald McCoy, friend of the show, commented, you know who y'all are, all three of y'all.

1:10:51 Go Bucs. Yeah.

1:10:52 And Gerald McCoy was right. I had no idea. I knew the Cowboys defense was bad. I didn't know it was that bad, man.

1:10:58 I tried to warn you guys. Shut up.

1:11:00 And I was born in Tampa, so....

1:11:05 That was.

1:11:06 I don't even like Cowboys.

1:11:08 I love the.

1:11:08 It's just every single game. How is this possible?

1:11:12 That defense is next level awful.

1:11:14 Next level awful. That dude. Who was the quarterback last night? J-Lon Daniels. Not J-Lon. J-Lon. Who are the best quarterbacks?

1:11:22 From Lawndale.

1:11:23 I'll tell you from Lawndale. J-Lon, J-Lon, J-Lon, and J-Lon.

1:11:26 Lord have mercy.

1:11:28 Well, thank you for pulling up to our Wizards reunion show in the preseason. It was Wizards Day.

1:11:33 Yes, sir! Here in Gil's Arena. Little two!

1:11:35 For the little two! Little three!

1:11:39 Appreciate you to everybody in our chat. Appreciate everybody on our couch. Appreciate you to our entire staff. Yes, sir!

1:11:44 We're four weeks deep, ladies and gentlemen, in season five. We got 36 more to go. Please pray for us.

1:11:48 Good Lord.

1:11:48 But this has been another episode of Gil's Arena, presented by Polymarket, powered by Playmaker.

1:11:57 What does GTD stand for, Sean?

1:11:58 Got the draw. He got the draws.

1:12:01 Got the draw.