Sixers Erase A MASSIVE 29-Point Deficit, SGA Ends His Streak & Jaylen Brown Calls CAP On Tatum!_1 Part 2

0:00 All right, we've got to discuss some, I'm curious to see how the couch reacts to this. Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown's situation took an interesting turn on Thursday. Bleach Report posted this excerpt from Tatum's YouTube channel where the light-skinned J tells his side of how he found out Jalen Brown got traded this offseason.

0:20 Jam walked over, he handed me the towel, he's like, yo, put this over your face, don't react, they just traded him.

0:29 I'm like, oh shit. I'm like, where? He said, Philly.

0:34 I said, you traded him down the street. So I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world. I will always say, I knew every time I stepped on that court that when it was time to go to war, I looked to my left and my right and number seven.

0:52 Was over there.

0:53 I knew that he was going to do whatever.

0:55 It took for us to try and win, you know, the way we pushed each other. I definitely made him better and he made me better. And we made our team better. We made this organization better. We won a championship.

1:07 We were forever.

1:09 Stitched in stone in NBA history. We held up that trophy. It won't ever be forgotten.

1:18 Emotional. Very sad.

1:21 That was Jason Tatum's side of the story. Tatum said, I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world. Yeah, I'm trying to figure out which part is the cap.

1:29 Because there could be a lot of caps that are going to be like, he made me better, cap. I mean, there could be a lot of caps here. Let me get to that point. Okay.

1:38 Let me get to that part, Gil. So apparently Jalen Brown views things differently. We don't know exactly what he views differently. What we do know is that fresh off of him and the Sixers' comeback win on the Cavs, Brown hopped on IG, called cap on JT in the comments.

1:53 You see the cap, Gil. Yeah. From his official account.

1:56 I don't like to assume, but I'm going to assume here and think that he's calling cap on the fact that he didn't know beforehand. Maybe he didn't want to know. If they were playing him, keep it on the line. I mean, I'm assuming JB knew. Like, there was talk going on on where it was happening. I'm sure his agent told him or somebody told him, and I'm sure they're informing JT what was going on as well. And I think he's calling cap on how he found out or when he found out.

2:24 We got a former Boston Celtics assistant coach on this very couch in Evan Turner's 2021 season.

2:30 I'll be at the crib.

2:33 Nah, um....

2:36 The Play Devils... Nah, I'm saying the Play Devils... You want to hear it, coach?

2:39 Nah, I'm just... I'm just.

2:41 As shocked as Jason. Nah, but the Play Devils advocate in a certain instance, this is like the fifth offseason, sixth offseason when JB has been involved. In those conversations, you know what I mean? I think at a certain level as well, from myself, my point of view personally, I think when that Giannis trade fell through, don't you think the Celtics kind of backed themselves into a rough spot in regards to making them upset? At a point now, now JB has every right to be upset and being like, how am I still in a trade block? Y'all done got rid of everybody. Could have wasted one of my years in my prime. We still win 58 games a year.

3:20 I still top five in scoring. I still took it. to another level. At his best season of his career. And that's what I'm saying.

3:27 His favorite season also. Yeah, so I think.

3:30 When it comes down to that, I feel as though the Celtics kind of, besides the money being a real actual thing as well, like having to sign him to a $ 140 million extension, if you got 70% of the salary cap drawn up between two people, do you think they can beat the Knicks? Do you think they can beat a healthy OKC? Do you think they can beat the Spurs? You're really just out there just keeping the same motion as opposed to switching things up.

3:56 But, I mean, I don't know.

3:58 I wouldn't have been shocked if he got traded because it's been six years of them trying to trade him. So that's the only thing that occurs. What Jason knew, I don't know is above my pay grade. When I talk to the homie, I ain't hear nothing like that.

4:11 You know what I mean?

4:12 So I don't know.

4:13 Jason Tatum is the homie.

4:15 Yeah, that's my man. That's what I'm saying. When I talk to him, I'm shocked. Phone drops.

4:21 I'll leave you out of this. I don't want to ruin any friendships or relationships.

4:25 Gil? But I will say.

4:27 What part do you think is cap?

4:29 I'm just hosting. I'm just presenting things. Jason Tatum facing the franchise. Can we agree on that?

4:35 Yes. Been so for a while, right?

4:36 Yes.

4:38 They make a move like this, you don't think there's any discourse between brass teams or anybody in that Celtics front office.

4:43 With either Tatum or his reps?

4:44 Yeah.

4:45 Look, this is what we're trying to do. What do you think about it, sir? Okay, I'm going to ask you a question first. Well, LeBron James said he didn't know AD was getting traded, and he said he didn't know, are we going to call cap two? Well, LeBron, honorable man, Gil. Nah. Dolfer.

5:01 Is he not honorable?

5:02 Yeah, see?

5:03 Nah.

5:03 So whatever the answer is for LeBron, James didn't know, it's the same over here.

5:08 I feel like with the LeBron situation, a little different, right? Because as you know, Gil, we've seen, they were trying to push Bron out. They were trying to do Bron dirty.

5:16 And AD is his real homie, though.

5:17 I don't know if they did tell him. If you have something that sensitive, AD.

5:21 They're in the same agency.

5:22 Rob Palenka, sneaky.

5:24 They're in the same agency.

5:25 AD's a homie.

5:27 He probably said, we can't tell Braun. He's going to tell AD.

5:30 Because probably that discourse in the Lakers. How do you think AD feel? Braun had to. And this is why. He had to know that.

5:37 This is why.

5:38 If you're the Lakers, we're not rocking with Braun like that anyway. We're not going to give more bread. We need a new face.

5:42 But AD don't know that until he's gone. You don't know that in real time. You think Braun was in Ron Palenka's office? Like, oh, get it done, Ron. No, Rich Paul's my agent. Bring Slovenia Jesus in. You know what I mean? But I'm just saying, like.

5:53 Rich is AD's agent, too.

5:54 Yeah, but it's Rich Luca's agent. No, but I'm going to know if my player is getting traded. So it's JT knowing that he's going to be traded or possibly traded, of course. I'm not going to say, oh, hell no.

6:15 But of course, like.

6:17 Yeah, I mean, you publicly did it, right? The whole damn Boston, all Boston knew that. That it was over. There was no coming back from it. You're talking about JT just got the Superman cape. He done showed the world who he was. If you think about him all summer, yeah, he was outside. Yeah, he was outside. He got a podcast now. He's bumping his guns because who y'all been saying I was and what I couldn't do for the last five years. JB. I'm on that. I've been doing this.

6:59 He was already like, I'm here. We aggressive. There was never going to be no rewinding. His performance, nor from the business side of rewinding that they just publicly tried to trade him. So, the whole team knew he would be traded at some point. I'm pretty sure Tatum didn't know he got traded. Then, that's the surprise. And where is the surprise?

7:32 Right?

7:33 That might be the surprise. But I don't... I'm working out, motherfucker. I don't... I'm in a workout, so I don't know... mans is being traded. It's not like you're keeping me on the phone. You're not on the phone with me. We're about to trade a minute.

7:47 Hold on.

7:48 You're not in that office, man. You're a fucking player. The franchise player is the franchise player. He's not a partner.

7:58 But a franchise altering move, we said the same thing with Giannis with the Drew Holiday and all that situation. You're just telling me Giannis is.

8:04 I don't see why JT would lie about that. I think he knew he was going to get traded, but I don't think he knew where.

8:09 Yeah, I'm sure. That's why he's like, down the street? Why would you trade him down? Because if you're telling me, yeah, we're going to trade him to Philly, I'm like, no, hell no. Like, why would we trade him with NB? No, like, trade his ass to motherfucking Sacramento. like that's somewhere that's that thought like you're not like you're not gonna trade them in like them fucking new york like no like trade them elsewhere at least two times a year he's outside the division.

8:37 And to jd's by jt's defense as well i think if you're sitting there having your own comfortability like man one of us gotta go duh he's going like you know i mean we keep I don't know where this argument has come up. Like, yo, who's 1A, 1B? It was cute. JT's always been 1A. Like, that's it. Like, it sounds good for media and narrative, but when you go there, it's like, bro, that's Jason's shit. Like, if it wasn't, Jason's never been in trade conversation.

9:04 But do you think last season, I completely agree, because I'm a Taylor fan, but last season, JT Achilles injury out for most of that season. JB carries his franchise to the number two seat in the East, and nobody thought the Celtics were going to be good last year. We were smoking Celtics back before the season started.

9:19 Yeah.

9:21 But I'm just being real. And I'm Jalen Brown. I'm a 60 MVP voter. I'm showing you guys what I'm capable of doing. And I'm educated.

9:28 Yeah, but do you factor in a 3-1 lead? Do you factor in now being like, okay, once we get rid of JT, we got to go through the ups and downs of the hurdles of what JB is going to do in his development? Is he a superstar talent like Tracy McGrady, respectfully, and he never makes it out the first round? Now you trade off a guy that when they argue with JT, he's at like an 80% win percentage without JB. He wins at a crazy level.

9:51 His efficiency is crazy. It would be hard to pick against it in that sense long-term, especially how JB plays a game of basketball over there. JB shoots mad mid-ranges. Joe Mazzulla loves threes. He loves analytics. Quote-unquote, I guess, in that city with a history of whatever you want to say, JT is more smooth, more, I guess, quote-unquote, presentable, less aggressive, which can, you know, give you the upper hand in times when you're struggling. So I just feel as though it It was never a no-brainer if you break it down. Even with the Achilles coming back, he was killing eight months afterwards, averaging down there a 20-point triple-double.

10:29 So you can only imagine once he gets his stride.

10:33 Last year was a blessing for JB and Boston.

10:41 Here's why.

10:42 My number two just got to be number one for a whole year. Hmm. Now I can trade my number two to get back a number one because he's playing like a number one. But did you do that? If both was healthy, if both was healthy, JB's going for like an Austin, he's going for that guy. But because he plays so well, he was an MVP candidate. This is the highest value he's ever going to get. I get to trade him for another superstar. That's why they went for Giannis. So I get Giannis and Tatum. I understand that part. Usually it's Tatum for Giannis. Yeah.

11:22 But I understand that part. I'm with Josiah here.

11:25 So that sounds great, but you didn't get Giannis. But that's because they botched it. But the ideal is.

11:31 What's that?

11:31 Yeah. The ideal is this is even a thing now. We're in the middle of these talks. That would have never happened if JT was healthy because they would have been like, no, my superstar for your superstar, in a sense.

11:45 I love PG. I think he's great. But JV, you traded JV. You didn't get enough in return.

11:53 No, we could have got that PG credit. My issue was I.

11:55 Understand the money. You don't want to do money. I understand you want to trade him.

11:58 But to Philly and to get what you didn't get enough in return, like no picks, no nothing.

12:03 Would they get a pick in the second round?

12:04 No, no. I mean, after I botched it in, once I– think about it. I'm going for the home run, and I can possibly get Giannis.

12:14 You patch it up.

12:14 And then– Sorry, I botched it.

12:17 We got to patch this shit up.

12:19 But at that point now– They got a 20-28 first, 20-31 unprotected first. Yeah, man, fuck all them. A couple of second round picks. They did get a little bit. They didn't get a fuck about nothing. So in hindsight, not the worst, but I'm just saying.

12:32 Not the worst, but it could have been better.

12:34 I can get that trade, I feel like, at any point.

12:36 You could have got like a couple first rounds.

12:38 Even like the Sixers was like, man, we got respectfully a PG, but they're like, we got to trade a PG while somebody wanted to take him.

12:45 Like, shit, you sure you want him? He's got a lot of money.

12:47 He's a good player, but for the contract, they were like, he's obviously playing well this year.

12:51 But it's the same person. When you think about it, what I'm saying is if they're healthy, Tatum's healthy, just like normal. The championship year, before Tatum gets hurt, that's the player that they're trading for. They're trading for the Paul George that was in Clippers. That's the caliber. A second option that can put up about 2024, 2022. That's the player you're going to go for. That's the trade value.

13:20 But you still got an all defensive guy too though. He's all NBA defensive.

13:25 Paul George. But that's what I'm saying. But that's what Jalen Brown is valuing. Once he played last year. I can trade him for another superstar because he showed he's a superstar. So I'm going to go for the haymaker. I missed. So I was like, well, now I don't have the ball anymore. So now anybody can offer me whatever.

13:46 So now I'm just looking at the little value pack.

13:49 What superstar do you think you could have got? Once they said no to Giannis, what superstar do you think you could have gotten?

13:56 Once you said no to Giannis? There was no Superstar on the board.

14:01 Since Keepem.

14:03 That was the only thing I could do after that. Keepem.

14:05 Say sorry. Patch it up.

14:06 That's a tough time of all. This is my ninth time trying to trade.

14:10 My bad.

14:11 You did it.

14:11 That's when you cheated on your girl for the third time. It didn't work again. I love you this time. Yeah, literally. It was... I don't know. I mean, with how JB carries himself with that chip on your shoulder... I'm keeping his ass. It's not like the nigga gonna give up on himself.

14:34 Yeah.

14:38 It's not like he gonna go out there, he gonna pull fake Amy's and shit like that.

14:42 Nah.

14:43 He might break the rim.

14:44 He might break the rim.

14:45 I'm a player.

14:47 But it motivates him, man.

14:48 Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. He's that guy.

14:50 And like I told, I had this conversation before. You're gonna be far-pressed aside from a hooper just off the court to find another kid like JB that keeps coming back better and better year by year. Or even a step up when you could say he was the third or fourth best player in a series, even though he wasn't, and win MVP, bro. Like, JB going down the stretch and even winning 50-something games is special. Most people would have mailed it in. Like we said, he won't quit.

15:15 And that's why you need basketball players back in the front offices when they're in these meetings. to someone and say, like, man, who the... No, that... Can you fire this nigga right here? I don't know what he's on. Like, there's no one in there that's correcting these dumbass statements. Like, because they're just going to look at numbers and then they're going to say, oh, this 22.6 and 5 is the same as this 22. No, the fuck they're not.

15:41 Yeah, because to a certain extent, every year JB's been in trade value. It has been cool, but it's also making him sing for his food. And when it comes down to it, it could work in reverse.

15:52 J.B.

15:52 Eventually by Brad's point, this year he could have just been like, man, fuck y'all. And he literally still is just like, man, I'm shocked. I was upset and moved forward. But it's like, to have the same for your food every single year and you're averaging 20 plus a game.

16:05 It felt like this was the year. It felt like this was the summer.

16:08 Hell no.

16:09 If I'm Jalen Brown, I'm not for this shit.

16:13 To go back, to go backwards. Let's see what y'all got. Let's see what y'all got. You don't fight. When you go like superstars and you talk about growth in a game, like you got to think about like Jay Rich. I had him. Have you seen him when he first came in the league, right? He couldn't shoot pass. I mean, he couldn't shoot the shots like that. He didn't like the idea that people sat back that far, right? You know what I mean? He got so upset with it that he didn't go home. He didn't go back to Michigan that summer. He sat in there every day. and shot a thousand shots every single day, became a great three-point sniper, right? D-Wade Wade couldn't shoot. We watched the development, right? Kawhi,

17:05 I didn't even know he was, I didn't even know he couldn't shoot when he first got here. So JB, that's JB. Like, he couldn't make left-hand layups. He couldn't go left. He could do none of that. He didn't have altering moves. He couldn't, like, he could barely dribble the ball a few years ago. Now, when you look at him, he looked like a real superstar basketball player.

17:28 And that's coming from every summer somebody talking about his game. There was no way he was going to touch the mountaintop. Today, they say, you know what? Fuck this. They was right. They was right? Hell no. I'm about to put the JV flag in this bitch. I'm about to build a house here because I'm not going back down there. That's my point.

17:46 If I'm Jalen Brown, I'm the sixth best player in the NBA last season.

17:49 Yeah. And this is how y'all playing me? Yeah, I'm trying to trade you for the fifth.

17:53 I'm out.

17:54 You know, I'm trying to trade you for the fifth or the fourth. Good luck. You know what I mean? Because we understand the business side of it.

18:00 At least another top ten.

18:01 Yeah, I'm trading you for it. So Giannis is fine. All right. Giannis, all right. I get it.

18:06 Yeah, I get that too. So you're saying.

18:08 Do you think if things don't go well this year for Boston, somebody in the front office gets fired?

18:13 No.

18:14 Okay, if we're talking about money, I know there's money. No, I'm just saying there's money stuff involved now. But if we're just talking about just production and moving forward, I mean, Paul's coming now. Mm-hmm. P.G. 's on the slope side, you know what I mean? I get what you mean. Right? Of his career, and one still has the fire and the passion in his eyes.

18:49 How many years apart? Eight years apart? Yeah.

18:51 So if I'm sitting there making a business decision to move forward with this franchise... Yeah, that's true.

19:00 Damn.

19:00 Yeah.

19:02 I mean, what do we... No, I mean, he's a.

19:06 Great player, but one... It's like trading right now. Win before LeBron.

19:12 Yeah, that's crazy.

19:13 You're fired. I don't give a fuck what LeBron brings the next two years. I know what this was going to be. He's moving forward, so I wouldn't have traded him. I'm kissing his ass. No, you're right. I'm sorry. He won't be like Wall Street. I got you.

19:31 But even with the salary cap concerns, like. That's the only thing. But if you don't.

19:37 Hey, listen, I've seen what Bomber did. Right. Yeah. OK. OK. Oh, you did what? OK. Who's that nosy motherfucker who called the bluff? Here, we're going to send his ass a half a million dollar check.

19:47 Yeah, but they don't have the same type of ownership. At one point, when Jason got hurt, they told him to sell off everybody, get rid of it. Private equity. Yeah, and they were just like, we're not trying to be the most expensive team. We're just trying to trap efficiently.

20:00 Well, they ran it back. That didn't work.

20:02 Then they said, all right, we're not paying this $ 200 million in luxury taxes.

20:06 Fine, people, but... And that's just that.

20:09 It's just a little trick.

20:10 And that right there goes into players' legacies. Yeah. Where this owner don't want a trappy. They want to win efficiently.

20:21 Yeah.

20:22 Right? So now they win the championships. Okay, they lost this year. Now you're going to trade everybody. And then everybody's like, see, y'all couldn't even get back to the Eastern Conference final. See, y'all are ass. How can y'all be with the greats? Because the owner made a business decision. That has nothing to do with me.

20:37 You look at JT being involved. He messes up his Achilles, Madison Square Garden. By the time he comes to and comes back on the court, Drew Holiday's gone.

20:46 Porzingis.

20:47 Porzingis gone.

20:47 Porzingis gone.

20:48 Al Horford's gone.

20:50 So now you look and it's like, damn, now my supremacy, Shea just ran up on me. You know what I mean? Shea just got him a chip. Now Jalen Brunson just got him a chip. You understand what I'm saying? Now it comes back to his legacy had probably taken over to... Shit, he's going to have to scrap to get back to that top and hopefully have the right type of ownership to be like, you know what? I want to win now because it's either that or Brad Stevens has to make sure he builds towards the future or use those assets to build something. But they're kind of behind at eight.

21:20 But that's Tatum's legacy. See, and that's the problem with the legacy because the narrative will be, whoa, you got rid of Jalen Brown. No, no, I didn't get rid of Jaden Brown first. I got rid of the other three starters first. Because if I never traded them, obviously their money was in the Western Am, and Tatum comes back in the playoffs with the whole team, we're talking about another championship possibility, right? But you got rid of them three first. Then Jason Tatum comes back. then you get rid of the fourth one. So there's only one starter left for their team, and everybody's going to say, see, you can't win without Jalen. No, nigga, I can't win without my four other starters. Bro, that's like.

22:05 Jalen Brown already did that. It was a gift and a curse for them to be that good last year.

22:10 Jalen Brown already did that, sir. This ain't about me and Jalen Brown.

22:13 Jalen Brown already did that in the regular season.

22:16 This ain't about Jalen Brown and Tatum. That is the problem. Everybody wants this to be about them too. We as a group got split up. You held it down while I was getting back. We got back. We lost. They traded you. Now everybody is like, well... Can you do what he did? This is your year to do what he did last year. Well, okay, can you reverse it and give me back my leg today and put me in last year's position with last year's team? No, but we can give you Paul George. But what you're not going to do is say, hey, you need to win 55 games and do what JB did this year when there's a fucking Philadelphia with a LeBron James man. And the nigga who did it last year on that team.

23:10 You're not going to do that to me. I'm sorry. If I'm him, I'm calling you niggas out. I'm like, hey, hold on.

23:15 That's real.

23:16 You're not going to say do what JB did last year. When JB, who did what he did last year, go to Philadelphia with LeBron James, and that team is that team. Then you got a sorry-ass Bucs team that teamed up with a sorry-ass Miami team, and now that team is good.

23:35 Then, last year.

23:38 Wizards said both they stars yeah I got to play against them JB got to play against them I'm playing against the two niggas that came back so this is not the same Eastern Conference so you're not gonna do that to me I'm gonna win my 40 I'm gonna win my 40 to 45 50 wins.

23:56 Yeah, that's real.

23:57 Y'all can say whatever the fuck you're going to say, but I'm not going to crash out.

24:00 Toronto got better, too. Yeah, I'm not.

24:02 Crashing out because y'all got this narrative held on.

24:04 But then he's damn near on like the Kawhi type of situation where it's going to be like, all right, just get there, and then maybe in the playoffs you perform well for a week or two, and that's where your greatness comes from.

24:15 Yeah, yeah. To quote the great Dave Chappelle, Gil, tough break, nigga.

24:19 What the fuck do you want me to do?

24:22 Always boo-boo. Yeah, yeah, always boo-boo. All right, well, let's keep this thing moving.

24:26 Blazers opened their season Wednesday night at the crib, marking the return of Dame time after Damian Lillard missed all of last season recovering from his Achilles injury. It was also the debut of Ja Morant playing his first real game in Portland after getting traded by the Grizzlies this offseason.

24:42 So during the preseason, there was some talk about potentially bringing Ja off the bench, but that wasn't the case in game one as Dame and Ja both started and got the Blazers rolling in the right direction. Let's take a look at these highlights if we can, please. all the way in the Pacific Northwest. So they took on the Suns. Obviously, we talked about Matt Ishbia earlier, making comments about he has the right culture and organization. Did not appear so in the first game of the season.

25:05 Blazers opened the game with a 21-0 run. Yeah, KD would have been very beneficial in that roster right now. They got the right culture. That was funny.

25:16 And it's to Portland, too. I mean, I guess the first game won, but. And Portland looked good, but I just don't have them in the top of the West.

25:23 That's fine.

25:23 But 21-0 run, holding Phoenix scoreless for the first six minutes of the game. Blazers led 43-12 after the first quarter. Despite being 36 years old and returning from a major injury, Dame was back into looking like his all-star self. Dame finished with 25 points and six threes in just 24 minutes.

25:42 Also had six assists.

25:44 And John Morant was solid as well, putting up 14 points, eight assists, and three steals. Demetrius was six for eight from the field.

25:52 Demetrius. Demetrius, Jamel Morant. Six for eight from the field.

25:56 Whoa!

25:57 Denny Abdi added 18 points and 10 boards to Mani Kamara at 18.

26:02 And who I told you I was going to have to move around a little bit? Denny.

26:05 Did you say Denny?

26:06 Hell no. I said that for a man. Man, two guards coming back. Hey, man.

26:11 But Denny was killing too.

26:12 You held the keys when I was gone, but this is my house. Shit. I don't know what you're talking about. I was on vacation just a couple years. Demetrius.

26:20 Portland will never buy as many as 52 points in this game, dude.

26:23 You said who had to step aside?

26:26 I said Danny was going to be the one. I said, it's Keys now. Bro, I don't know what nobody's talking about, but I can tell you this. You're telling me someone who's been 10 years there and that city is his comes back? I'm sorry, bro. That shit sound good. You made a little one all-star in your first year, but yeah, yeah.

26:46 Let me go ahead and show you how to ride this.

26:49 That shit sounds good. You made a little one all-star. What are your first impressions of Damian Lillard and John Morant as the Blazers backcourt in their blowout win over the Suns? It's just the Suns, just game one.

26:59 Yeah.

26:59 But leading by as much as 52 in the game, I'm sure people in Portland, and I'm sure the good folks at Nike.

27:05 Yeah. And Adidas too, yeah. And Adidas too.

27:07 No, it was good to see them rock it, man. They look like they have some real culture there. I mean, The way that roster is constructed, it didn't make sense to me. I mean, you have too many guards. And the bigs are solid, Klingin and Williams. But you got Drew. You got Dame. You got Denny. You got Ja. You got Shane. Like, you got a lot of guys there.

27:31 So I'm like, somebody's got to move somewhere. But right now, they're making it look good. I mean, Phoenix made it look really good, I'll tell you that. But, yeah, you know, we all love a comeback story. John's got something to prove this year. He was a franchise guy in Memphis. To go from that to them talking about bringing him off the bench is crazy.

27:52 But, you know, he started. He had a solid game.

27:54 And he's kind of buying into doing the winning thing. And, you know, this might be a good fresh air for him. All right, you two, let's move over to you. Blazers legend as well. Legend on many teams. Very well respected in Portland.

28:07 You're a good dude, man.

28:09 Pacific Northwest, no sales tax. Yeah, you ain't lying.

28:12 It's a good spot up there. But I like this team. I probably like them more than what Danny believes in them. I've kind of been around the team a little bit more. Seeing Scoop play the other night and, you know, a little bit last year has made me feel a lot more comfortable due to, you know, his skill set, his size, pause. And, you know, he's a big kid, so he's able to both, you know, have an advantage offensively and defensively. I liked how Josh started out. You know, obviously he didn't come out as Ja Morant from back in the day, but if it's going to be the Ja Morant that's going to come out, set the tone, play tough defense, be an emotional leader and find Dame Lillard and some of those guys, I think him doing that blue-collar dirty work

28:55 will mold well because at the same time, I know they have too many guards, but, you know, Shaden Sharp is still very talented. Last year he averaged 20 a game, shot close to 40%. You know, Tamani Kamara shot like 37%. on the field i feel as though the game is going to go towards small ball type of vibes and if you have uh two veteran guys that know how to adjust their game and play it in right form like drew how they did during the championship run for the celtics or even last year i think they can possibly make it work but it wouldn't be looking it would be more of by a committee but i believe dame is going to show up and be dynamite and this is one of the first times where he's actually on the court with guys that can find him, playmate,

29:36 but then he's able to play off the ball and be a more official two-man. And Denny Avia, a third option, he's able to get 18 and 10 or even still playmate. You still need that type of player in this league.

29:49 Obviously, you have some thoughts on the whole discourse around John Morant potentially coming off the bench. Never a fan of it to begin with. There were reports before that season opener that that Ja was going to come off the bench. They were quickly shut down. As we saw in that game, Ja ended up starting with Dame. So what were your first impressions of the Dame-time Ja Morant Blazers backcourt?

30:10 I'm still trying to figure... See, that's why you need a nigga like me over there. Because soon as one of them even thought about... Ja Morant, who coming off the bench? While I got these two... But I got these two people on my mind. Why are we picking the most talented player on this team to come off the bench? Because of what? It is easier to do because the media? Is this a media pressure? Because this is not basketball pressure. There's no way none of them is holding his jock in this basketball game. So he's better than me, but I understand Ja's position. Because of the outside noise, you can't really say how you feel.

31:04 When I got to Orlando, I can't say how I feel, right? It plays into the narrative. But who the fuck is coming off the bench? For who?

31:16 That's the, who?

31:18 Where? I get booed with the numbers they get that you celebrate. That's the reality. These motherfuckers is coming to see me in here. Like, when I come down the lane, motherfuckers is doing this.

31:34 Right?

31:35 Like, it was just so embarrassing to just even put that in the air. And then on game day, there's a report. He's coming off the bench. Like, he's trying to get ready for the fucking game, and these are the reports you're trying to put out. Y'all got me fucked up.

31:53 Yeah.

31:54 So how do you like a backcourt of John Morant and Damian Lillard in the West? Because I think Coach Norrie was just like, you're absolutely right. It might not make much sense because when you sit there, the report and narratives have been like, yo, John's going to struggle defensively. They might struggle defensively together. That's a real conversation. That wasn't attacking John so much. It's just like, yo, we might be in trouble, but I guess you play your dogs for sure. But Last year, Drew averaged 16-6-4 and shot 38 from the three, bro. Like, that's... Does that matter or no?

32:27 Definitely matters.

32:28 That's all I'm saying. Like, you act like there's a bum on... Like, just three years ago, he won an Olympic gold medal for the team, and he keeps killing. So that's all I'm saying.

32:36 There's arguments on both sides, but.

32:39 No, no. Shaw averaged 19-8 last year. And that was considered a bad year.

32:46 Yeah, because they was ass.

32:47 Yeah.

32:48 Because the baddest is the bad year with 18 and 8. Oh, we don't want them no more.

32:51 There was nobody on his team. He should have averaged more.

32:54 True or false?

32:55 He only played how many games?

32:57 He only played 30-something games.

32:59 20 games.

33:00 20 games.

33:01 There was nobody on your team.

33:02 You could have broke a dub. Am I lying? He's only playing 20 games. The year before that, 9. The year before that, 50. So we're just pretending that he fell off. But when we do see him, he's on SportsCenter every night. So I'm not going to sit here and disrespect. As long as this man is held, that's like getting Kawhi and saying, who are you thinking about bringing Kawhi off the bench?

33:26 Why different?

33:26 Because he's missing game. But I'm saying because he's missing game. Like, you're not saying his play is bad. You're just using the element of, oh, they might not be able to play defense.

33:36 Might?

33:36 What the fuck does might mean? Do we know? Now we're doing guesswork. You're trying to outsmart basketball. We don't know what they're going to do in this system. How he played over there with those players is not the same system here. I don't give a fuck how I played defense. I know if I went to San Antonio, I was going to be a great defensive player because they got great defense. So none of it matters, man.

34:10 That's what I'm saying. You're just trying to overthink the game. Put the niggas in the game, let them play, and then go from there. That's all it is. Nobody would have thought Austin Reeves. And Luka would have meshed together.

34:25 Yeah.

34:26 Right?

34:26 Yeah.

34:27 You put them together, they figure it out. Bam. Basketball. We've been on, and this is something that upper, you have to think about. There's this thing called AAU. Right?

34:40 Amateur Athletic Union.

34:41 Yes. Yeah. Most of us played on teams with, Other high-level superstars, number one, number two in the country. And we whooped ass. We beat the dog shit out of everybody. They're trying to pretend that players ain't ever team up and win. Players know how to sacrifice their game for the next man. A.I. and Mello sacrificed. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, KG, they sacrificed. It's always been done. I don't know why you're trying to think about doing it. Right? Let the game play. Drew Holiday's a great vet. He's on the downside of his career. Right? He's going to come in and figure out how to manage it. But don't just pre-say, oh, yep, he's going to come off the bench. This person's going to play the last five minutes. Uh-uh. That's not how

35:41 this game works. And it's Portland. Trust me. You need Dame news and you need Ja news to get people in the building and to get on TV. I'm sorry, I do not want to see Scoot and Dame or Drew and Dame, okay? You know, I'm not tuning in to none of that shit. I got one from shooting from half court and I got one spinning through the lane doing all kind of shit. That's what I'm tuning in for.

36:12 Right?

36:13 It's cool. You might make the first round. It ain't good for you guys. But ticket sales is that man with those shoes. Yeah. I'm like, yo, this is game day and y'all bringing up who's coming off the bench and that's what the person has to think about. Like, how he warms up, what's the name, to see if he's going to be starting or not. That's crazy. Nah.

36:37 That's real. Wow.

36:38 I'm firing that coach, man.

36:40 They better not expect him to be, honestly. I didn't know what they were going to be. Their identity is weird. Who's theirs? You said, who comes back? You got Shane and Sharp coming back. Average 20 last year. You can say whatever you want. You have 20 last year? You have 20 last year? Hey, this is not last year.

37:01 Okay? You remember we said the same thing about Philly, right? And B, this ain't last year.

37:07 Huh?

37:09 Vijay, this ain't last year. We got a Jalen Brown and a LeBron now.

37:12 You living or dying with the ball in John's hands exclusively, like for the most part exclusively?

37:19 Is Drew going to have the ball? Dame has the ball, right? Dame is coming down. Dame doing Dame shit. And then when he don't have it, he give it to me. Now, what can I do that Drew can't do? Yeah. Yes.

37:35 Yes.

37:36 Yes.

37:38 You can't shoot as good as Drew. You can't lock up as good as Drew. At one point, Drew was one of the top players.

37:43 I'm not.

37:44 I'm riding right now.

37:45 Pause.

37:46 What Drew can do, he can do what?

37:49 He can lock up, right?

37:50 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

37:53 I'm a big John.

37:53 When was the last time you seen that? When was the last time you seen that?

37:57 Someone's head was at the rim.

37:58 I'm talking about.

38:00 In the game. We've seen the 360. When he came through the lane, he went, right? Yeah. I don't even remember no play from Drew, and he's a Valley kid. I'm just being honest. You know what I mean? Like, he would probably snap back steel somewhere or something. You know what I mean? I know they make a sports center.

38:18 Danny, what do you think?

38:19 I know your kids ain't going to buy his shoes. I don't think it's a good move. Drew, my guy.

38:22 Drew's my guy, too. Drew's very good.

38:25 Solid player. I don't think it's a... Lose, lose, regardless of how you go. It's what your team needs, right? And Ja's a franchise guy. It's hard to bring a guy like that off the bench. But he's so talented. He could, except it's kind of like bringing Dylan Harper to the bench.

38:38 No, that's not the same. You make your team better. It's not the same. That's not the same. But you have a guy like that off the bench, you have really good depth. You know what I'm saying? It might make your team more rounded, deeper anyway.

38:48 Imagine I have Shaq, and then somehow I got Yao. And then I say, oh, shit, I don't know which one's going to come off the bench.

38:55 Come off the bench, the four men?

38:57 I don't give a fuck who.

38:59 I know these two are starting.

39:01 These two right here.

39:03 My five men, my five men, they started. I am not sitting here playing these games. It is dumb games. I remember I was in the gym. I said, hey, listen, let's say you have T-Mac on your team, right? And And we know who they are. And I say, y'all and Kobe is in this draft. Who you drafting? And they said, yeah, I'm drafting Yowls. I said, ain't that a bitch? You're drafting Yowls and there's a Kobe. He already got a win.

39:43 It's so you gonna alright I see where this I see where this team is going like it's just like come on man like you you get them both if Jordan's up next nigga I'm getting them both I'm grabbing them both give me all of them I'll.

40:07 Figure it out put them at the one two three it doesn't.

40:10 Matter so back in it's old it's random but back in 07 when you had Brandon Roy Lamarcus Aldridge which you had taken KD instead of Greg Oden Yes.

40:23 Okay. 1,000%. Like, what do I need? But what I'm saying is, what is Greg? But was Greg O the number one pick? Yeah, he's the number one pick. But I mean, was he the best player?

40:35 I mean, they were saying he's the best big man in a long, long time. The only thing I'll say... Big man or who's the best? They said he's the most dominant player in the longest time.

40:44 You know who they are. No, no, but I'm saying... At the time, you didn't know who they are.

40:49 He's saying you know who they are.

40:50 I asked him that, but in the draft, he's the best big man in a long time. That's saying a lot. but not saying anything at all. Because this is 07, so 06, big man. You know what I mean? Who was the better player at that moment in time? Was it Kevin Durant? Because there was a year where Brandon Rory got drafted. In the draft, they said, He will win rookie of the year. He is the best player in this draft. But he went seven. Yeah. Right? That's that shit that I... Because, oh, we don't need a player like that. We got this player like that.

41:23 That's what I'm saying. Was that the perception back then?

41:25 I don't know.

41:26 Because Shaq and Kobe would be like, yo, it could only be one man's team. And it went to like, all right, one dominant wing and then one dominant big. And now when you come down to it, if you would have drafted KD with B-Roy, I feel as though back then the conversation would be like, it's not enough space for him. That's all I'm saying.

41:42 What's so funny is, It's never been a, that's never really, I can't think of a great wing wing that failed. Yeah. Like, usually guard play is guard play. I've never seen. Figure it out. I've never seen it fail. You think about Chris Mullen, Tim Hardaway, and Mitch Richmond. Like, wings are two and a three. Like, even Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter are two and a three. Usually play well off of each other. So having Brandon Roy and then bringing a KD, that's... Yeah. But it's Portland. They had a chance to get Michael Jordan. So they said, oh, well, we already got Clyde Drexler.

42:21 Clyde Drexler, yeah.

42:27 I think it was Thompson who said, yeah, you got Clyde, but Michael Jordan's coming. Like, we can get Michael Jordan. Ah, yeah, nah, we need a big. Michael Jordan can play big. Like, so it's just one of those things, man, where it's like, you don't need to overthink situations, man. Just get the better player, get the talent. Let me put my talent out there. Let me see what it does. Right? I think sometimes coaches want to feel like they're coaching. Yeah.

43:01 Right?

43:01 And I'm, you know, I'm coaching. I'm out there. You know? And there's just sometimes you got such great players that you can just, like you can coach, you just reap the benefits. All you do is just sit there and.

43:15 Sky Brooks.

43:16 Hey, you feel like this? Yeah. Want me to sub? Sub, sub, sub, sub, sub.

43:20 Sub, sub.

43:21 Like, you know what I mean? There's teams like that where you don't fucking. Whoever's coaching the USA team, you're not fucking. And the only thing you're doing wrong is if you sub somebody in or you don't sub somebody in. But if you wasn't there and it was just the players, they're going to sub themselves in. Well, Katie would have been like, hey, JT would have been like, hey, hey, hey, White, come on, come on. He would have been playing more.

43:44 Come on, White, come on. You know, obviously.

43:49 Well, speaking of questionable decisions, just when you thought the universe had permanently shifted around the Knicks in a positive way following their first title in 53 years, Knicks owner James Dolan continuing to prove us all wrong. So Thursday, The Athletic reported that not only did Nick's assistant coaches receive ring boxes with no rings.

44:06 At the championship night celebration. That's crazy, bro.

44:09 They're going to get fitted at some point and get them. That is being confirmed.

44:12 Okay.

44:13 But also, an email went out. This is the more.

44:15 But to give them a ring box with no ring in it?

44:17 Well, I did research on it, too, because I was very inflamed when I read that. But a lot of teams don't necessarily give their assistant coaches the rings on ring night. They fit them and they get them to them at a different point.

44:25 Okay. It was just for pomp and circumstance and for show. Gotcha.

44:28 But I believe the Lakers did give their assistant coaches rings after the.

44:32 Hardest. They don't know protocol. First time in 53 years.

44:37 But that's not even the most out-of-pocket part of the story. Apparently, an email went out to the employees of the Knicks in late September that read, Congratulations, your employee championship ring is here.

44:48 This is the one on the house.

44:50 MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring, the same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name, no cost to you. So a lot of these employees, they had two options to pick from on the email. A lot of them picked the ring option that they thought that they would be getting. Turned out this was a pump fake email, a phishing test from Madison Square Garden staff sent to see if the employees would click.

45:13 On the link.

45:14 So phishing, I think it is Cybersecurity Month. So those who did click the link did not get to choose a ring. Instead, they were forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class to help satisfy some of James Dolan's growing cybersecurity concerns.

45:29 According to team sources.

45:30 So in Donald's defense, cybersecurity is a very big deal. Seems like if I was going to run a test on employees, I wouldn't be pump faking them with the.

45:37 This is kind of wild.

45:39 But that's so New York, bro. I feel like a New Yorker, a comprehensive, but that was tacky. James, you do a lot of stuff. That was almost as bad as kicking Oakley out, man.

45:48 That was.

45:49 This is wild, man. I don't know.

45:52 You couldn't find a different way to try to test them?

45:56 I see both sides of it. They are going to click that link.

45:59 I mean, if I'm an employee, I'll probably ask somebody, is this real? Do I click? Did it come from a real source?

46:07 I believe it came from a legit Madison Square Garden email.

46:11 I don't know if it's one they normally get. So if it came from somebody they normally get, then of course they're going to click. But if it comes from some random one, then it's like, all right, is this real?

46:20 A capital I can look like an L. You just never know.

46:22 I mean, I would still do the test. I would just kept asking for my ring. Like, bro, where is my ring at? I'm going to keep asking. Like you said, I'm not worried about the test. Y'all sent me the wrong link.

46:36 Andy said free.

46:37 Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

46:38 Very tempting email, but obviously a lot of Nick's staff and security.

46:44 Because I think that ring for them is 10 grand. What is the family... What does the family ring get? It's about 10? I'm glad you're asking.

46:51 I mean, now the way Jason's making them, they're probably going.

46:55 For 20, 15. Shout out Jason to Beverly Hills.

46:57 The second one? The second one? The second one that's a pendant that is like an off-brand ring?

47:02 The off-brand.

47:02 Probably like half. Yeah, probably.

47:04 Shout out to Jason of Beverly Hills, friend of the program, been on the couch here, brought a bunch of championship rings. I'm going to say that Nick's ring was very, very ballerific.

47:10 Yeah, it was dope.

47:11 But usually you get a second version of that. You get a second one.

47:13 You get another one.

47:14 For the family.

47:15 Yeah, you can buy it.

47:16 So in response to the news about the Knicks championship rings, the New York Post has now learned that the Knicks will be handing out 275 championship rings to employees worth almost $ 4 million. Let me do the math on the chat.

47:29 Yeah, I mean, they usually give some of the employees like the really dumbed down one, which is like a fourth of the price usually. Or they give them a chance to buy, you know, two, three grand, four grand rings.

47:41 So those rings are, ooh, damn, $ 14, 000 each? Oh, yeah, so that ring must have been almost $ 30, 000.

47:47 I think the players' rings were like $ 400.

47:49 000, $ 500, 000- ish, if I'm not mistaken. Each? Jason at Beverly Hills Guild does not.

47:54 I mean, when I saw that ring, it looked kind of crazy. I thought maybe probably like $ 100, 000, but I don't know. It was probably, yeah.

48:01 Jason at Beverly Hills, a man of exquisite taste, craftsmanship. I'll ask Jason if this was the most expensive ring. I think reports like 400, 500 grand for each.

48:10 More and more every year.

48:11 For the player rings.

48:13 That's crazy.

48:14 It looked it, bro. Like it rises up. Dolan, I don't know who he is. I don't know what people think about him. But he really put money into that ring.

48:25 Yeah.

48:26 And he said, I don't give a fuck about the cost for the players.

48:29 For the players.

48:31 Yeah. You spend 400.

48:33 That's a contract negotiation. You have to have some colored stones in there or something. I bought you a good ring.

48:38 Because if a player wants to rebuy the same ring for his family He has an option to buy the same one. Yeah for like family Yeah.

48:48 I'm sure they give them, you know, it is New York. Yeah The Canal Street wherever you can go you can get the.

48:53 We gotta see I mean Lisa, you know Lisa, you know the niggas ain't get that money that they said, you know rings over uh careers They're going to get a couple hundred thousand that they pocket later on in life. Just to be honest.

49:08 So what's your reaction to James Dolan doing the Knicks coaches and employees dirty?

49:13 The cyber?

49:14 The cyber security.

49:15 Not only do I not get a ring, I gotta go attend a cyber security training class you.

49:19 Just yeah it's kind of foul I mean there's other ways to go about the training this is a this is a yeah this is foul on the play bro this is a wild pump fake so yeah.

49:31 And some of you are getting stolen you know what I mean I'd be very upset yeah I'd be I'd be I'd be upset I'd be upset, too. Because it's just not funny, bro. You know what I mean?

49:43 Yeah, it's not.

49:44 It's really not funny. You know what people really wanted.

49:47 I don't think it was meant to be.

49:49 No, I dig you, but you just told me I'm getting some free shit. Like Kevin Garnett said, why the fuck would you show me some shit if I couldn't have it? You know what I mean?

49:57 To test your loyalty to the organization?

50:00 Yeah, bro, that's not a joke.

50:01 That's life, man.

50:01 You know what I mean? Girls are going to be realizing that. Don't show me shit and I can't get it. You know what I mean? Let me take my life back. Not you, baby. Not you, baby. D-like. D-like. I need my life back. It's real, though. Okay.

50:27 I don't know, man. They got to do.

50:28 I mean, I would say you got to do better, but this is not... This is uncalled for. It's unnecessary. You don't have to do it this way. There's other ways to make them aware of cybersecurity But.

50:38 As I say, both sides of it, Dan, because a very good way to make them, because y'all really thought you was going to get a ring. Now you're going to get one eventually, but this was back in September. So y'all thought y'all were going to get one.

50:46 At least they're actually getting one.

50:47 Back in September? So you clicked on the link. You mean just a few weeks ago?

50:50 A month ago.

50:50 Two weeks ago? Yeah.

50:51 At least they're getting one.

50:53 But now reporters argue that they're all going to get the ring.

50:56 For free?

50:58 I do not know that. You got to put something on it. I'm one of these, man. if the ring costs $ 14, 000 or $ 5, 000, and you're not paying for everybody's, but you spend $ 400, 000 each, and as an employee, I can be like, you know what, hold on. I see a nigga that, I did more work. We did more work, you know. Whatever number he is. You know what I'm saying?

51:26 We deserve it. We've been dealing with this shit for 30 years.

51:29 That's what I'm saying, bro.

51:30 You know, he was on the 10 day, and he get the $ 400, 000? Yeah. Hmm. All right, well, just wanted to get your guys talking.

51:40 That's funny.

51:41 Hey, man, listen, you on the team, you do what the fuck you want to do. Don't tell me how to.

51:46 Not true.

51:47 Why was I like, damn, you're going to do them like that?

51:49 It would have been worse if they didn't get one at all, but at least they're getting some. They have the option probably to pay a small amount to get the.

51:57 Lesser version.

51:59 Or whoever clicked it and did it, they get it free. Whoever didn't, you got to pay full price. And go to the cybersecurity training. As well.

52:08 All right, well, let's shift back over to the Western Conference, something I want to get your guys' opinions on.

52:12 Darius Acuff Jr.

52:14 Entered the season with much hype, anticipation, and expectation after a solid preseason showing. But the Kings rookie got off to a rough start in his NBA debut against the Clippers and almost made history for all the wrong reasons. Let's take a look at some of the highlights if we can. So Acuff Jr., rough shooting night against L.A.

52:32 's other team. He had 12 points in the game, but he was 5 of 24 points from the field, including 0 for 7 from 3. I had the second lowest field goal percentage in a rookie debut in NBA history. This is based off a minimum of 20 plus field goal attempts.

52:49 Okay.

52:50 Shot just 21% from the field. Obviously, he'll look to bounce back Friday at home against Dame John the Blazers.

53:00 Yeah, I mean, he was aggressive.

53:04 He was very aggressive. He was aggressive.

53:06 But again, he Like Draymond had to pull him aside, had to talk with him. Want to get your guys involved. He's supposed to be a point guard. But there's a lot of hype around all these rookies. And none of them, obviously still early, has had a great game one or game two.

53:23 Some of them haven't had games.

53:24 Obviously, A.J.

53:25 DeMonson not playing in the season opener. Will not play Friday as well with the ankle injury.

53:29 So they're still figuring out slowing the game down for themselves. But if you're cold, I mean, normally, I mean, it shows a lot of, Maturity and a lot of brass.

53:40 Just keep shooting the ball.

53:41 I was a very... Dead cold. Most young guys, like, once they get cold, they're like, all right, let.

53:47 Me just kind of.

53:49 Especially when you got, like, we've already been a big fan of him, but the Montez Sabonis on your team. Not so much saying, like, he interrupts anything you're trying to do in regards to development, but he's such a good playmaker. He's such a good You know, a guy in the pick and roll, even just getting you open shots, he knows how to play the game. He understands how to play the game. You've seen him come out the other day and say, you know, we need more than one pass situations.

54:13 We're going to hit that. Of course.

54:14 But I think that speaks volumes in that sense. And, you know, as a young dude, when they're already knowing you're going to come out and be aggressive, you need to use your team, especially as a pick and roll player, a point guard. But that's easy, man. Backdoor cuts, build a synergy with your big man who can really pass.

54:31 It's a learning year for him. Gil, you probably love this shit, huh?

54:35 I'm going to real quick, Gil. Darius Acuff Jr., 5 of 24, took 24 shots in his rookie debut. Gil, do you know how many games it took you to take 24 shots in your rookie season?

54:47 I don't even think I shot 24 shots in my rookie season. 13 games for you to take 24 shots as a rookie in the NBA. Wait, I did take 24 shots?

54:57 Not in a game, but overall, to add up, cumulatively, it took you 13 games to get 24 total.

55:01 13 games to hit 24 shots. Oh, yeah. I mean, I was playing two minutes. But did I ever take 24 shots?

55:07 Not your rookie year, probably not.

55:08 No.

55:09 Let me see. You took 15. 16, I believe, is the most you took. You took 16 shots in a game?

55:15 Good shit, Gil. Yeah, I was trying to get them bitches up. I was threatened. There's a few things going on here where. In real time, to keep shooting, even though you're having a bad night, someone's telling you to just keep going, right? Only person that's going to tell me to stop is either the captain on the team or the coach. And the only person that's going to override the captain is the coach. So if they're telling me to stay aggressive, go aggressive, then I'm just going to keep going, you know, try to play through it. Now I want to see what happens this game. Because if he doesn't come out and take 20-something shots, and he comes out and tries to recorrect it and take like five or seven. I

56:16 don't think he's doing that. Yeah, yeah, you're done. You're done. Because... that aggression, that aggression, you will need that aggression in this league. Now, if a veteran bucks you and gives you that, hey, we passed a fucking ball around here, all that selfish shit, blah, blah, blah, and then you go and you tuck your tail and then you conform, shut that, yeah, you done. Right? So, if I'm, but if I, if this is, me in the front office or the coach, and this is my future, that's what it look like.

56:58 Yeah.

56:59 1,000. Yeah, I mean, you don't need to, hey, hey, hey.

57:02 15 to 18.

57:02 These niggas ain't even going to be here. So don't even listen to them. You know what I mean? Just you keep finding, trying to get better. The shots is looking good, right? That's all. Me, I'm looking at the shots that he's taking. Missed layups, right? You know, he's snaking them. Missed a shot. The only thing different between college summer is just the athleticism and players that can score.

57:26 They just got to adjust to this. Preseason wasn't these guys. It was guys trying to make the team or we got some down version of it. Like this is the real, real live. So it's going to take me a few, it's going to take them a few games, all of them, a few games to get adjusted to, you know, the different type of athletes. But yeah, yeah, yeah. This is supposed to be your team. Hey, Pulling niggas out.

57:52 Hey, listen.

57:53 Don't worry about what the fuck they talking.

57:56 About, man.

57:59 I can bitch them. We can trade them. I can trade them. I don't want them.

58:04 They've been trying to trade them.

58:07 I had them last year. I had them for two, three, four years. I know what they bring. They're the reason that you were here. Yeah, I know what they bring. Don't even worry about that. Don't even fall into their type of play. I'll be trying to get them to be aggressive. So I'm not going to dial you down for their game. That game right there had its last place.

58:29 So here's the follow-up to that. And like you mentioned, it's a bonus. So during the Kings preseason game, against the Warriors. Cameras caught fellow Michigan native Draymond Green pulling Acuff Jr. aside to give him some free game. So during the episode of his show recently, Green revealed the advice that he gave to Acuff Jr.

58:46 The broadcast showed me having a moment with Darius Acuff. I saw something in that game that he had to bar the entire possession. Ultimately down the stretch, late in the possession, he ended up getting fouled at the rim. But my advice to him was just, hey man, You remember that possession, which is why I was doing this, right?

59:00 And then he asked me, he's like, oh yeah. I'm like, who else touched the ball in that possession? He's like, nobody. Don't have many of those. Because you can end up having a bunch of those with the Sacramento Kings this year. And a few things can happen. You can get guys start plotting against you. Guys that don't really want to see you do well. Guys that start bickering on the side to other guys. Guys that try not to put you in the best possible position.

59:22 To be successful.

59:23 You can get guys that get upset, like, oh man, they want to get this, Ricky this, they want to do that, that, right?

59:27 And they get pissed off.

59:28 And then by the way, when your own bad teams, teams that are trying to figure out a direction, you could be in a situation where no vets are even talking to you. Whereas people see like, oh man, you're going to have to ball every possession.

59:39 That's great.

59:40 Yeah, that's all great and fine and dandy until you start creating bad habits and there's no one really there to correct it, right? And so for me, you know, when I saw that, I just wanted to give them a little game about that.

59:54 That's Draymond giving them some game.

59:56 Draymond appears to be Nero Damas because after game one, this was DeMontis' bonus reaction to the Kings' season opening loss.

1:00:04 What are some things you guys maybe need to do as a group, maybe something you saw on tape to generate.

1:00:08 Some more of the ball?

1:00:09 Get me the ball more so I can swing it and get guys open. We took a lot of one-pass shots, pick-and-roll shots without passing the ball. Those numbers are really high. I feel like we're best when we kind of mix it up. Point guard shoots, point guard hits the corner, point guard hits me, then I can make the read.

1:00:26 That's where I'm best at.

1:00:29 That's what I'm best at. Niggas ain't about you no more. Niggas ain't about you no more, playboy. This is what I'm talking about. This is not about you. I get this is what you did good, but this is my team now. Look at me. You know what I mean? So you gotta fit into the new style. I don't have to fit into you. And sometimes If you as a veteran don't understand what's going on, you are not part of the future. When I seen John Wall come, watch one practice. Hey boss man, what corner you want me in? You want me in the left or the right one? Right? And I remember, I remember, because you know, when we drove, we fell the lane And he naturally drove blindly through it to the corner, right? If he sees, like, help,

1:01:35 he throws to the corner. He wasn't part of the NBA since the way he threw it to the back. And me and Kirk Heinlein was like, just hit in the corner. We just stay because this is how he plays.

1:01:47 Right?

1:01:48 We can't tell him how we play. How he feel comfortable. You know what I mean? So he drove, boom, damn. Oh, shit, okay. You know what I mean? He made the game easier versus us trying to tell him how we like to get the ball, how this system is. So that's good. I get you. You know, throw the ball to you and you figure out how to try to get your triple-double. Cool.

1:02:10 But if... If they say you ain't part of this team, then goddamn it, we're just going to keep doing it my way until they trade you. That's just... I don't mean to be that rude, but....

1:02:20 Only thing I feel bad for, you played on teams when a guard shoot like off one pass. You're like, bro, I'm getting tired of coming down playing defense.

1:02:28 But I hear his side, I hear both. But mainly for the individual.

1:02:33 But did we get you for defense?

1:02:34 I'm just saying, you come down, you're like, we just got down here. This nigga shot again.

1:02:39 You get down here, it's like, damn, slow down little nigga.

1:02:43 But it is a, I'm not saying a happy meeting, but it's a balance where you can still be aggressive and have the, like the biggest thing Draymond was saying is the habits.

1:02:51 Like, those are losing habits.

1:02:52 You don't want to shoot it every damn time. You can shoot a good amount, 16, 18 shots, maybe even 15, and still get your teammates involved and everybody still, you know, being a good... And you're also creating habits of being a playmaker. You're not just a one-dimensional person.

1:03:07 Or a player.

1:03:07 Yeah, but you can shoot 24 times to it.

1:03:10 And still do that? I don't know if you can.

1:03:12 Maybe.

1:03:12 You can do that, too. But, again, what is the goal here? What are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to get better as a player, as a point guard? Are you just trying to be a scorer?

1:03:21 Like, what are you.

1:03:22 Trying to be?

1:03:23 I mean, he is what he is. He's a scorer. My question is this.

1:03:25 He's trying to get a trap shot.

1:03:28 Here's my thing. I know what you said out loud about this. Did you... Did you not see his play in preseason? In practice? Right? You've been there this whole time. Have you not said, hey, listen, we're going to get you the ball, but let me swing it to them and get them involved just a little bit?

1:03:50 Right?

1:03:50 And then me and you work the pick and roll and we figure it out? Or are you already one that's against me because they're giving me the ball and telling me to play this way?

1:04:00 I think it changed, though. Also, I'm Ben Simmons was a part of what they were doing early on. He was a distributor. Now the ball is only solely in his hands now. He had a split time with Zach and Ben. Now it's just him and Zach, and they're just going to go who takes which shot next.

1:04:18 But again, just like anything, what Draymond said that they could do if you don't pass on the ball, are they doing it already? Well, I have the ball, so... I just say, man, listen, hey, hey, take 24 more. Just make them. Because if you, hey, I guarantee you, because if you take four, five shots, them niggas is never going to let you take 24 again this season.

1:04:52 They're going to shut all that aggressive shit down.

1:04:55 How do you think his shots look? Just as a player, did he take the right shots? Did you see IQ from there?

1:05:03 From what I've seen in college to what I've seen in preseason to what I've seen is the same exact shots. The only thing different is adjustment. And that's what the NBA is about. I'm not playing against this type of defense when I'm in college. How many high-level, all-NBA point guards did he play against in college basketball, in summer league?

1:05:37 How many centers, power fours, right? So it's just the adjustment. But, you know, here, here, getting shit. He's missing the shots that he normally makes. So it's like, you know, just... You're not doing anything we haven't seen already, right? You just don't have the... They're not familiar yet. You know what I mean? Like, rotation's coming faster. Guys jump higher than what you've seen before, right? So it's going to take some adjusting to that. But the shots he's missing and the little one-legged floaters and he's missing shots he makes.

1:06:25 So I'm not worrying about that. I'm just saying I know the league. And if you don't come out and be just aggressive. Be aggressive.

1:06:34 You got to still stay aggressive.

1:06:35 You're going to get back. I mean, when Brandon was here and he had the 55, we were talking about the 55, and I said, hey, what happened? He's like, what do you mean? Because I said, you went from 55 and then you started being like a pure point guard. I said, for sure someone said something to you. And he was like, yeah. It's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's like, yeah, I mean, he didn't want to say the player, but I'm like, of course, man.

1:07:09 I think I remember they all said something.

1:07:11 Yeah, yeah.

1:07:11 They all kind of gamed up.

1:07:12 I forgot, 55 and they won, and you mad, right?

1:07:15 Game seven. It was like the seventh game, right?

1:07:16 Yeah. Very early in the season. I already had a 30-piece, I think, before that game. You're a veteran, man. You see your plays gone. Like, you know, like people don't see this, but, you know, if you're the number one option, number two option, and then someone comes in, get drafted, and... they're just giving him plays, and now you just became the corner dude? You just counting your money. Oh, shit, my value. You know what I mean? This is my paycheck here. And they saying, man, fuck these plays. He's going to do everything. I don't like him.

1:07:50 All right, well, let's keep it moving. We have our first NBA Friday of the season tonight. It means a lot of strong matchup to choose from for your NBA League Pass watch list. Let's take a look at the Friday schedule, 12 games.

1:08:03 Who hooping today?

1:08:05 On the docket, Celtics host the Knicks in their home opener in Boston after their loss in Detroit Tuesday. As the Knicks also look for their first win following losing at the crib on ring night to Philly. Indy will be rocking for the Pacers home opener as Tyrese Helton will play his first home game since the 2025 NBA Finals against Cooper, Kyrie, and the Mavs. The Y-Emberwolves go from South Beach to Orlando to take on Apollo. Franz Wagner in the Magic. Kawhi in the Raptors. Head to D.C.

1:08:34 Detroit, Miami. They're going to play A.D. in the Wizards.

1:08:36 Detroit, Miami.

1:08:37 They'll be out without A.J. DeMonta for the second straight game. Wimmy Spurs house K.D. in the Rockets in an early Texas tilt. And your Snowtime Lakers look to make it two straight at home against the undefeated Clippers. Battle of undefeateds here in L.A. Which matchups are y'all looking forward to tonight?

1:08:57 Hmm.

1:09:02 Like that Detroit Miami matchup Toronto Washington could be I don't know if AJ's playing or.

1:09:08 Not I don't think he's supposed to be out of course.

1:09:11 Houston San Antonio is going to be a good one and then.

1:09:17 Yeah Oh, yes.

1:09:21 Those are the top matchups for me. Obviously, New York-Boston is probably always a good little battle. Yeah, I'm still trying to see what Miami bounces back from when they play Detroit.

1:09:37 Yeah.

1:09:39 Golden State-Memphis, just to see where they're at. Not like it's a big game, but obviously.

1:09:44 The doo-doo ball.

1:09:45 I'm just waiting to see what A.J. looks like.

1:09:46 Toronto is good. If he comes back to that game, that's going to be tough. You got Scottie Wilde, kind of guarding on the wing.

1:09:53 Ty Jerome versus Steph? That's a good, you know what I mean?

1:09:57 I'm shit. Ty Jerome out here cooking. Other than the Lakers game, which I know you'll probably do a watch party for.

1:10:02 I mean, I think that's a probably blowout. The Boston-New York, I want to see that one. Miami-Detroit, like, that could be very, very physical and boring. Because, you know. It's just one of those grinded-out half-court games, but that could be one of those good games. And then, of course, San Antonio and Houston. Wimby versus a team that can go big as shit.

1:10:31 Yeah, Sengu and Steven Adams.

1:10:33 KD, Jabari. You got a lot of height over there, so I really want to see how San Antonio shifts. I'm in Thompson. I know you're going to try to run them off the court, but I don't.

1:10:43 It's going to be a good matchup.

1:10:46 That is the Friday night slate. 12 games, ton of action, and it is Friday here in the arena, which means we don't have work tomorrow.

1:10:54 There you go.

1:10:55 But we do have mostly fans back.

1:10:57 Mostly fans back?

1:10:58 Mostly fans, but.

1:11:00 We're going with our— This is the final day, right? Because we tested everything out yesterday.

1:11:04 You're looking very, very, very inspired. Here very late.

1:11:09 We're not allowed to leave the basement until everything was in order, but got some mostly fans questions for you guys. Let me put on my reading glasses.

1:11:17 There you go.

1:11:18 This is sad. Why? He stressed his ass out so bad last year he came back wearing reading glasses. No, you stressed me out. Me?

1:11:25 You ain't wearing before that?

1:11:27 No, my vision was pure. That was only because he was basically telling me to come to work, and I'm like, fuck that. I'm home. I'm home. It's like, fuck that, Joe. I'm sorry, Joe. The family needs you.

1:11:41 All right, so we got a question from one Donald Thomas said, hey, G, I'm nervous. Who's going to be our American superstar? After LeBron James leaves, who is it?

1:11:51 Ant-Man? Cooper Flack? American superstar? Tyrese Maxey?

1:11:58 Kade.

1:11:59 Kade, for sure. Jalen. Jason, right?

1:12:05 Yeah.

1:12:08 I mean, the only ones who have the superstar of what the NBA looks for. I don't know if Jason Tatum is married, but Cooper Flagg.

1:12:22 It might be one of the rooks, man. You don't know.

1:12:31 But no, right now, I mean, it's just Ant-Man and Cade right now.

1:12:35 No, man, they want a family man. I'm sorry to keep telling you. They want a man who is stable in his life. And it's not going to mess up the sponsor, the NBA sponsor, your local team sponsors with the NBA, the NBA network money, right? That's, you know, that's, that's where LeBron, Cove, Jordan, Magic, that's, that's that level, right?

1:13:04 So the two guys who are there, but they're just not from here. You know, you got SGA, like how he presents himself. That's Amex, right? That's how you get the MX deals and you get those. That's how it's supposed to look.

1:13:18 I feel like I count SGA as an American. Do you understand what I'm saying? I know you can. But I'm just saying it's not a Euro. You feel me?

1:13:31 I mean, it might be because that's what I said. Nike switched over so that, you know what? You're American now. Yeah, you're Nike now. Yeah. Cade is quiet. Cade ain't going to get in trouble. You have guys that, I'll say Cade, if we can go SGA and they're going to allow that, you're safe with Brunson. He has a personality if you get it out of him.

1:14:03 You got the little pod going on over there. He's solid.

1:14:07 We got a comment from MrFootman9738. Said, Timberwolves look exactly how the Warriors would have looked after the 2020 draft if they drafted LaMelo Ball over James Wiseman. Curry would have at least five rings. Steve Kerr in the front office should be punching the air. Thankfully they didn't, so we could see the Warriors downfall.

1:14:27 In real time. That's good luck to do. They should have punched the air pushing KD out. That's when they should have been punching the air.

1:14:37 Yeah, oh boy. Did they push him out or he just wanted to leave?

1:14:40 I don't know. I don't know.

1:14:41 I think now after the Jordan Poole trade, a lot of things started going downhill.

1:14:47 I'm sorry. We've seen KD's career since then. Not the success of the teams he's been on, his performance. If it stays in Golden State, how many more championships would they have won? That's what nobody ever wants. They want to do all hypotheticals, but never that one. If KD stays in Golden State, how many championships do you want?

1:15:23 Because of right now, how he plays with Curry. Right now, how he plays, you're still talking about a very great team. Yeah.

1:15:35 Yeah. Probably use two more. More than what they have. They have four.

1:15:40 Yeah, they would have probably had... Curry would have had six. I mean, it takes away from Curry's, like, finals MVP. Probably, even if KD would have stayed there, he would have got one out of them.

1:15:50 Because even at finals, what are you running? He was, like, 26.

1:15:53 He was right there.

1:15:55 Still killing, yeah.

1:15:56 We have two comments, both related to the same topic, or one comment, one question. So, MikeMike100 said, LeBron knew the AD trade. Tatum knew the JB trade.

1:16:04 Mm-hmm.

1:16:05 They just got to pretend they didn't to save face. It is not the first time and won't be the last. And then here's a question from that, from IsDiesel08. He said, what do you guys think about JB saying Tatum cared more about the finals MVP than he did and was mad about it on Little Baby's Pod?

1:16:22 I don't know if he cared. He was probably shocked.

1:16:24 Like, damn, I didn't get it. Like, he led.

1:16:26 I mean, he led. He led all statistical categories.

1:16:29 He wanted six players to do that. Was that his quote?

1:16:32 That wasn't that.

1:16:33 He just said other people cared more than he did.

1:16:35 Yeah, he said he didn't care about winning.

1:16:37 People are putting JT in that conversation automatically when he didn't say JT cared more. So I'm not assuming or putting that.

1:16:44 No assumptions being made. I don't like the idea of saying I don't care.

1:16:49 Right.

1:16:51 Usually, if you don't think you're going to win, you don't care about it, right? Because it usually goes to the best. Iguodala didn't care about the finals MVP, right? Because there was no world he would have gotten at for him to be pressing about it, right? Siakam, he didn't care because to him, I'm not getting that award to even care about it. He's just trying to get the win, do my little thing, and then... Oh, shit.

1:17:21 First thing you do is look at the nigga.

1:17:24 Like, oh, my God.

1:17:28 I know that nigga is over there.

1:17:33 That is that. That was mostly fans. Oh, it is Friday again, ladies and gentlemen. I know someone's got traffic to do with the weather's been a little inclement in recent days, but appreciate everybody to chat, chat. We got the best chat in the game. I told you guys that during the show, but I really, really appreciate you guys.

1:17:47 If you could do me a huge.

1:17:48 Favor, hit that like button if you have not done so already. It's so close on your phone screen, your tablet, your iPad, your iPhone, your computer screen, everything else.

1:17:58 Danny, E.T., appreciate you. Appreciate you, man. Appreciate you as always. Direct deposit right around the corner. Yeah. The mood is jovial. Right around the corner. Right around the corner. We're about a little over a week away.

1:18:07 Shout out to everybody in the chat. Shout out to everybody on the couch. Shout out to our amazingly talented crew. This has been another episode of Gil's Arena, presented by Polymarket, powered by Playmaker.

1:18:16 Well, we will see y'all next week.