transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:00] Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong.

Speaker 2:
[00:07] Bro, Skycoin, way better than points.

Speaker 1:
[00:10] Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade. Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with Kayak, and get your trip right.

Speaker 3:
[00:23] Bad advice?

Speaker 1:
[00:24] You talking to me? Kayak, got that right.

Speaker 2:
[00:30] Live from New York, it's the show that had to remind themselves. They're not actually a Houston Rockets fan.

Speaker 4:
[00:35] Yes, you are.

Speaker 5:
[00:37] I'm like, why am I so are?

Speaker 6:
[00:38] You have been on the Rockets for years.

Speaker 7:
[00:40] But I was upset like they were my childhood team.

Speaker 4:
[00:44] Well, that's how you talk about them.

Speaker 6:
[00:46] And not only that, but who's your guy?

Speaker 2:
[00:48] He needs to toughen up. We're in the playoffs.

Speaker 7:
[00:50] So, referee, they're not calling it. Okay, stop.

Speaker 4:
[00:55] And I'm not from Houston. Yes, but you also.

Speaker 7:
[00:59] I have one copyright and I'm like all in.

Speaker 4:
[01:01] Also though, we all root for our takes and you yelled at me every time I included Lakers in Title Pie. You thought it was outrageous that they could have a chance in this series. And yesterday, you called for a Rockets blowout. Not win, blowout.

Speaker 2:
[01:20] Emay is like, we did a good job on defense. Okay, buddy, can we score some points?

Speaker 6:
[01:23] This isn't the Emay-Udoka.

Speaker 4:
[01:25] I don't know what.

Speaker 6:
[01:28] He's a little too.

Speaker 4:
[01:29] I told you.

Speaker 7:
[01:29] You would think that they won the game.

Speaker 4:
[01:32] I told you his game one was going to be like, Darwin Hams, oh, we got a plan for Joker. And it was Ruey and you laughed about it for years. After they lost game one, he's like, no, we figured something out. You guys were all like, oh, shot quality Lakers.

Speaker 7:
[01:49] We gotta make shots.

Speaker 6:
[01:50] The adjustment was we're getting Durant back. How'd that work?

Speaker 4:
[01:54] Did you?

Speaker 2:
[01:54] Darn it. First hour of First Things First. Today, Wemby is out, the Spurs lose. Is this series in the balance? Meanwhile, NFL draft tomorrow. Is there a chance the Giants turn into a great offense? By Friday.

Speaker 4:
[02:11] And major news.

Speaker 2:
[02:13] There is?

Speaker 4:
[02:14] Mock draft 4.0 got some late breaking news last night. Major shakeup on the draft 4.3.

Speaker 2:
[02:19] Oh my goodness, don't go tipping picks now.

Speaker 4:
[02:22] Major shakeup. Well, yeah, they told us we can't tip picks. I'm like, oh, so I guess we're canceling tomorrow's show because you're about to hear the whole 32 in order perfectly.

Speaker 5:
[02:30] That's right.

Speaker 6:
[02:30] I can't wait.

Speaker 2:
[02:31] Finally, World Cup Wednesday Plus with a special edition of Playoff Tears combo platter there alongside Nick Wright.

Speaker 5:
[02:39] I got a bonus take on them, I'll tell you that.

Speaker 2:
[02:42] We got to stop.

Speaker 6:
[02:42] I mean, make the Tears better then.

Speaker 4:
[02:46] What?

Speaker 6:
[02:46] I mean, if you want limited bonus takes, step up your game.

Speaker 2:
[02:52] I didn't know. I just have a problem. I don't know when the take starts.

Speaker 4:
[02:58] I do. Drew, don't worry about it. I get it, but you could just be a little, you could make the same point with a nicer, make the Tears better.

Speaker 2:
[03:10] We're starting in San Antonio. Wemby lost his balance, hits his head, suffers a concussion. He's in the protocol, out at least 48 hours, probably more. Game three is Friday in Portland. Spurs also then gave up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. They lose. Series tied 1-1. Drew, your reaction to everything?

Speaker 6:
[03:28] Well, first, I gotta say, look, understanding the seriousness of a concussion, I am glad and a bit surprised. That's all it was.

Speaker 4:
[03:40] That he didn't break his jaw?

Speaker 6:
[03:41] Like, I've never seen an NBA player hit their, you know, face first on the floor like that.

Speaker 4:
[03:48] And it bounced.

Speaker 6:
[03:49] Right. I mean, you see it in the back a lot of times, but I mean, yeah, the fact that he didn't break his jaw, mess up his teeth, whatever it would be, but that was fortunate. He ran off. He probably didn't know what he was doing, but he ran off. I guess you could think, oh, that's maybe a good sign. But I think he's definitely missing game three. Yes. Because the other thing is they have to fly. So even if he's improving, is he able to fly? I think game four is in serious Japanese Sunday. I think the average for NBA players from concussion is seven to ten days. Seven days would be game five. Now, with all that said, I do think the Spurs still should win the series. Even, I mean, if he were to miss the rest of the series, I think it's just in the balance. It's two young teams with a little bit of veteran leadership on both teams going at it. And they would not have the best player on the floor. Like when he's not on it, Avdi is the best player on the series.

Speaker 4:
[04:46] Even though he wasn't last night.

Speaker 6:
[04:47] Right, he's the best player.

Speaker 4:
[04:48] You know who was last night.

Speaker 6:
[04:49] Scoot, Scoot, Scoot, Scoot, Scoot. Scoot, Scoot, Scoot.

Speaker 4:
[04:52] Scoot, Scoot, Scoot. Take still lives.

Speaker 6:
[04:56] Well, your take was rookie of the year.

Speaker 4:
[04:57] It was rookie of the year, but it was a lot of stock in Scoot. I mean, if you want to live on it, he's gonna be the best rookie. That was a great Scoot moment.

Speaker 6:
[05:03] That was a great game for him.

Speaker 4:
[05:04] But go ahead, but go ahead, sorry.

Speaker 6:
[05:05] So look, that was a bad loss, because if you're up 2-0, they're gonna win the series. Wemby, you could even rest him a little longer. I think they'll probably split in Portland. They were, we all talked about all season, they were pretty good without Wemby. They were 12 and 7. So that's a 52-win pace as 5th succeed. Still better than Portland. They should still win this series. And if they could somehow take both games in Portland, then you can rest Wemby a little longer if you need to. I do quickly, Nick, have three big, like kinda macro takeaways from this. The first is that this adversity is good for the young Spurs. I really think that, I mean, obviously, you don't want him to get hurt, but I think this is how you grow in the playoffs. Like this is something that they didn't grow last night. They had the game, they were up 14 with like eight and a half minutes left and just gave it away. Right, so this is something they can learn from. Wemby appears to be fine in the playoffs with the 35 in his debut. Secondly, if they lose in this postseason to Spurs, I would rather it be Wemby's playing, they just get beat by a better team or they're too young and they don't play up to their potential. Totally agree. Right, rather than him, yeah. Because if he's out, like let's say he doesn't come back this series and they lose. I think it sets you back because next year now becomes about, can Wemby stay healthy through the regular season? And the playoffs. So it sets you back. And then the third takeaway, Nick, and we're going to get into this in a few. What a tough break for the Lakers that they fell to four. Because if they beat Houston.

Speaker 4:
[06:57] Except I don't know that the Lakers would be up 2-0 on Minnesota.

Speaker 6:
[07:02] Well, that's true. I mean, that's a good point.

Speaker 4:
[07:05] So that's.

Speaker 6:
[07:07] But you're right. But if they were in this position. The Spurs certainly appears to be a better match up than the Thunder.

Speaker 4:
[07:12] But yeah, that's fair.

Speaker 6:
[07:13] Minnesota would have been.

Speaker 4:
[07:15] Then I was like, I don't think Minnesota would be.

Speaker 6:
[07:17] They wouldn't play like Houston.

Speaker 7:
[07:19] I don't think they would have had that.

Speaker 4:
[07:20] All right. I want to talk about this series and then Wemby big picture before we move on. So I'm going to show three graphics about kind of the good and the bad about the Spurs chances this series, because here is we all, I think, expect Wemby to miss the two games in Portland. I think it's on the board. They just don't fly him. I, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2:
[07:43] I would think that's like.

Speaker 4:
[07:45] They just stay like, they hope he's ready for game five and they don't risk setting him back by making him get on. That's a long flight. San Antonio to Portland, they get to take a plane. I think Portland, they're on a bus now or something.

Speaker 2:
[07:58] Oh my God. Enough with the T-shirt.

Speaker 8:
[08:00] Enough with the T-shirt.

Speaker 7:
[08:02] No, I'm just kidding. Why buy a T-shirt if you're not going to be, you know, cut corners here? Well, you don't have a blazer T-shirt. Then don't come to the game.

Speaker 6:
[08:12] That is a prerequisite for playing on basketball.

Speaker 4:
[08:15] Making your masseuse check out of the team hotel early, she's sitting in the line. Give me a break. Now, to the point at hand. They could lose the next two. Portland's good. And we saw the Spurs youth on display at the end last night. And it was extra concerning because they lost without Obdia playing great. And if you're down 3-1, even with Wemby coming back, you're in real trouble. So here's where Spurs fans should maybe be optimistic. They actually have been good without Wemby on the court this series. You know, it's limited. But on court, their net rating is this weird. Their net rating is positive, but they've actually been outscored by three points when he's on the court. When he's off the court, they've outscored the Blazers by 13. So they've been more than held their own very small sample. But all of a sudden, KW, it makes your guy Luke Cornett the most important San Antonio Spur. And this was part of the Game 82 piece. So this is this series. If you have one of your two big men on the court, the Spurs are dominating. In the very limited nine minutes that they both been off, they've been getting crushed. But that was true for the regular season as well. And Cornett is not going to play 48 minutes. So all, like the reason the Game 82 thing against Denver, they sat Wemby and Cornett. And it's like, oh, well, you've been getting killed in this circumstance all year. That is a major concern I would have for the Spurs. If Klingon can get Cornett in foul trouble, or if Cornett just goes from being a guy playing 15, 20 minutes a game, or even in game when Wemby's out, 30 minutes a game. If you need him to play 35, can he? Because the Spurs, it's almost, my hypothesis is, the defenders all year have almost been programmed to guard in a way where it's like we've got great rim protection. So if all year long they had been on a bad rim protection team, maybe they'd be more accustomed to, oh, we can't pressure so much. But they're so used to having that safety blanket that when that team doesn't have a big man on the court, they get shredded. So that would be my concern. Then I have the Wemby question before we get to the Lakers. This is the worry of anybody that is someone we've never seen before. And again, I think this is totally fair. And I don't think there's anyone else in the league that would have fallen like that. Like where like the where the like where you almost I know this sounds weird, where you would have enough time between the when your hips hit the ground and your face hit the ground. Like it's like where you could get that momentum. I know it sounds crazy, but you know what I mean?

Speaker 6:
[11:19] I yeah, I've never seen it. I don't know.

Speaker 4:
[11:22] I don't know it either. But it just feels it feels like felt unique.

Speaker 7:
[11:26] Yes, but it felt it was a freakish.

Speaker 4:
[11:29] But it felt unique to a guy his size like that. It was just I've never seen a guy like you said fall like that and have that type of face first impact. And when we have seen guys fall, usually there's not it's his head. Your head's not going as fast. But so I don't I'm not a physicist, but it just felt like yeah, that's a weird injury. And those are the concerns for a guy who is that tall doing that many because he was kind of recreating the play he does that a lot. Right.

Speaker 2:
[12:03] You haven't seen tall guys.

Speaker 4:
[12:04] No, but he did it in game one. That was the play that Duncan and Robinson were like, oh my God.

Speaker 6:
[12:09] Like, I mean, the Gregor point you've made is he has had battled injuries.

Speaker 4:
[12:15] Yes.

Speaker 6:
[12:15] That was a freakish one. You know, last year with the was it the blood clot? Like, that's kind of a unique thing. You know, we just got to see.

Speaker 4:
[12:24] It worries you.

Speaker 6:
[12:24] Yeah. But they, I mean, there are injuries that it's not like, man, his knee just won't be right or his lower extremities. It's just kind of freakish things. And maybe that's because he's so athletic doing all this guard type stuff.

Speaker 2:
[12:37] All right. Game three is on Friday. We're going to head out to LA where LeBron was again fantastic. Some people were saying that Luke Kennard yet again went a little bit looclier. Also, Marcus Smart, unstoppable. Here's Marcus Smart on LeBron. Take a listen.

Speaker 9:
[12:54] Greatness, man. I mean, you know, here's his IQ of the game. He picks his spots very well and he stays very poised. It's times where, you know, you see things start to get out of control and he's still calm. And, you know, that's what happens when you know you've been in this league for 23 years doing what he does and been making plays the way he's playing and being great as he is. So we appreciate it.

Speaker 2:
[13:14] Nick, the Lakers were underdogs in both games, but you picked them in both games. How surprised are you?

Speaker 4:
[13:19] Well, I'm not surprised by last night. I'm, I, you know, to be fair, I did individually say they'd win game one and then, but I picked them to lose the series. Yeah. But then after game one, I picked them to win the series. I picked them to win game two. So I'm not surprised based on yesterday. I am surprised based on five days ago, which is why I'll be the first to say, LeBron, I'm sorry, I, along with literally every single person in the media, I think underestimated him a bit. That's it. And listen, that's all I have to apologize to LeBron for. There are some other folks that were, the Lakers are better off without him. His salary is the problem. Who really would want him at more than the mid level next year? Those takes were everywhere to be found at different points in the regular season. Luckily, not so much on this show. But he showed last night, and I want to show the beginning of the second half, Brew, because I didn't think, before we get to the play's dust, I didn't think LeBron actually had it last night. Like he didn't, his legs weren't underneath him. He couldn't, he couldn't hit a, aside from- His shot was off. Right, aside from when he got mad at Jay Sean Tate, he couldn't hit a three, and he was missing shot to the basket. But, so he had to beat him with his mind. And if you remember after game one, when he was asked about the game plan or whatever, post game, he was like, that's a long series, I don't want to reveal it. I think he revealed it at the start of the second half, where once again, Lakers have control in the first half, four straight turnovers to end the first half, just like last time, it's a close game at halftime. Here are six consecutive half court possessions where Kevin Durant is guarding LeBron James, and LeBron James, first half court possession of the half. Aitin, come set a screen with Shingoon, I'm getting you rolling to the basket. All right, you missed it, but let's, next time down the court, Aitin, come set a screen. Okay, here's the next time down the court, sorry. Aitin, come set a screen. All right, you're gonna miss this again, but now I know exactly what we're gonna do here. Next time down the court, Aitin, yeah, come set the screen, you go that way, Shingoon, you're cooked. Next time down the court, Aitin, again, if you could set this screen, oh, but now I'm going this way. Same play four times in a row. Next time down the court, yeah, I know this will shock you guys, but let's run the same thing, Shingoon, you're cooked, and then sixth time down the court, we're gonna pretend we're running it, you guys panic and double, over-threat, and the next time down the court, Shingoon was on the bench, and all of a sudden, you have played what is supposed to be the Rockets' most versatile offensive weapon off the court, with the only play that I didn't show that was running the half court was the one time Durant wasn't guarding him, and he had Jabari Smith on him, he did what he's done, every time Jabari Smith's been on him, I'm gonna back you down and you're gonna foul me. Like, because Jabari Smith just can't handle it. He just said, okay, this Shingoon high pick and roll, he can't, Shingoon can't deal with it, and we're gonna spam it like it's the 2016 finals running high screen and roll and getting step in the action, 10 years ago until you make an adjustment, and that's how a guy who I thought Brew didn't really have it last night could control the entirety of the game.

Speaker 6:
[16:50] Yeah, first of all, to your first point, LeBron, this is gonna be a really interesting off season for the Lakers. If it goes how we assume, look, we gonna get to the Rockets in a minute, this series is over. The series is over.

Speaker 2:
[17:07] It hasn't even started yet, actually.

Speaker 6:
[17:11] This series, the Lakers are winning. It's 2-0. The only question is, is it going four? Is it going five? Is it going six? The Rockets are atrocious, even with Kevin Durant.

Speaker 4:
[17:25] Hold on, we'll get to that. What you were saying is, if it goes like that, then they lose to OKC.

Speaker 6:
[17:28] Yes, if they get pummeled by OKC.

Speaker 4:
[17:32] Who did you pick?

Speaker 6:
[17:33] I picked the Lakers, because I thought Kevin Durant was going, I think game one, him being out, it just...

Speaker 4:
[17:41] Let Bruges.

Speaker 6:
[17:42] Okay, if it goes how we think, and they lose to OKC in the next round, it's going to be interesting because LeBron is obviously playing well enough to not just want him back, but if he wants to be like, I don't want to come back for 5 million or whatever it is, 15 million, whatever they want to offer.

Speaker 4:
[18:01] He's a max player. If your goal is to win a championship...

Speaker 6:
[18:04] Well, it's interesting, man. It's different to... Now, what he's showing, and I think he's done this purposely over the last few months, showing I play however I need to play. Because the book on LeBron has always been, if he comes in, everything changes. You got to build everything around him. Now that he's showing, that's not the case. I think he wants to stay in LA, family, all other things. So it'll be interesting to see what the Lakers do if indeed they lose in the second round. But as far as LeBron, I love the way he's playing. Like, he's getting it in the system, which allows everybody else to shine. Everybody's getting touches. It's not just LeBron doing it. He's the orchestrator, and he obviously had 28 points last night. But look at Marcus Martin with 25. Look at Lou Kinnard with 23. That's because of the way they're playing and everybody's touching. He is back, like you said, Jabari Smith backing him down, going in the post. I wanted LeBron to go in the post for a long while. I mean, his whole career, he could have done it. But nobody can, most people in today's NBA, can't handle him in the post. They're not used to guarding guys that don't want to play in the post a lot. So those are points he's always can have if he wants them. And he was off. He missed a lot of stuff at the rim. He missed a lot of his back down turnaround stuff. But that's just an off night. But I thought he played great. I think the way he's playing is great. And again, shout out to Canard and Marcus Smart. Rui Hatemura has had two really good games. Like they are all, the players around LeBron are also playing very well. He's the leader, but it's not just him.

Speaker 2:
[19:57] Let me show you this graphic. And this can be a glass half full LeBron graphic or a reason for Rockets optimism. Lakers starters their field goal percentage this series. Everybody is up. Here's a note from Josh, yeah, 49. Their combined field goal percentage of 55.6 is the third best by starters on a LeBron led team through the first two games of a series. And this is LeBron's 56th series. So glass half full, LeBron is doing an amazing job finding guys open, getting them easy shots, filling them up with confidence. Glass half empty, Lakers, this is unsustainable.

Speaker 4:
[20:38] This is what you, yeah, it was, that is, so this is a symptom of the 62% as a team in game one. It did come back down to earth yesterday. And like I told you guys, when that comes down to earth, the Lakers won't have 20 turnovers, they won't get out offensive rebounded by 20. Those numbers will come back down to earth. And all of a sudden, even though the Rockets have five of the six best players on the court, it didn't matter because the Rockets don't have a plan and the Lakers have LeBron James. And so it is the thing that I want to talk about, I know we're going to do the Rockets now, but later in the show, if Luka and AR are back, how should the Lakers play?

Speaker 6:
[21:24] Well, they can't play.

Speaker 4:
[21:26] It's an interesting thing.

Speaker 6:
[21:27] Luka can only play one way.

Speaker 4:
[21:28] So that, but I know Luka can only play one way, but I also would want a little, whether it's staggering minutes, something, I want a little bit of this LeBron in addition to third option LeBron. If we are going to try to beat the Thunder, you know what I mean?

Speaker 6:
[21:46] Because I agree with you. If you would hope Luka is watching, saying, and Luka's involved, Luka's invested, man.

Speaker 4:
[21:53] You see Luka on the sidelines.

Speaker 6:
[21:54] I'm not even saying Luka's selfish or anything like that. I'm just saying that's the way he plays. And he can't do what LeBron does, go off the ball and do all the things LeBron does.

Speaker 4:
[22:04] No.

Speaker 2:
[22:04] Luka's like, man, Luke Kennard can shoot the ball.

Speaker 6:
[22:06] No, seriously.

Speaker 2:
[22:07] Not as good as me, but if I'm ever heard again. As for Houston, Kevin Durant is back and Houston still didn't score 100 points. Bond temps had a good note here. Durant has now lost seven straight playoff games. In the second half, he had three points, five turnovers, nine for the game.

Speaker 4:
[22:22] He had 20 at halftime. He had 20 points at halftime on, I think, seven shots.

Speaker 2:
[22:28] The first quarter, he was super hot.

Speaker 5:
[22:29] Yeah, six for seven.

Speaker 2:
[22:31] Here's KD post game.

Speaker 9:
[22:33] We're just not making shots, to be honest. We're not shooting the ball well. We're getting good looks. We're missing a lot of layups.

Speaker 1:
[22:42] But yeah, I just think that's the difference in the game.

Speaker 9:
[22:44] They're making shots. We're getting way more shots than them this series at the rim. We beat them in the possession game. We're getting the same amount of threes up. We're offensive rebounding well. We're turning them over to differences in make shots.

Speaker 4:
[23:02] Differences in make shots.

Speaker 2:
[23:05] They're on message. It's exactly what Eme said after game one.

Speaker 4:
[23:08] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[23:08] Now, watching the games, it doesn't feel like there's any reason for optimism. You said the poor team was atrocious.

Speaker 6:
[23:17] They're hard to watch. Their offense is hard to watch. I get it. You don't have a point guard. You look around the NBA. Does Minnesota really have a point guard? I mean, Mike Conley, but he plays sparingly. Anthony Edwards is bringing the ball up most of the time. And like this, that's, and I get it. You'd rather them have a point guard, somebody that can just run the show. But that is not an excuse. They've been all year and again, Reid Shepard played point guard his whole life. I mean, he's technically a point guard.

Speaker 4:
[23:47] And they could, and listen, and then I know you're going to get to KD. Fred Van Vliet tours ASL in the off season. You could have used some of this year. Say, hey, I'm in Thompson, the single best athlete in the league. Let's use some of the year to develop you as a point guard.

Speaker 6:
[24:03] I think they tried some with him, but he...

Speaker 4:
[24:05] Instead, they asked Kevin Durant to do it. And guess what? Kevin Durant's not good at that. He's good at a million things in basketball, bringing the ball up the court, being the primary ball handler, and oddly, handling double teams. He's not good at it.

Speaker 6:
[24:18] Kevin Durant is an all-time great player, all-time great scorer, and all that. But if you look at his career... And look, let me say this. He's 37. Everything he does from this point on, it doesn't seem old compared to LeBron, but his legacy is set, and it's an awesome legacy. But this is a unique situation for him. He is a great scorer, good defender, good rebounder, all that. Not a great playmaker for other people. He's a playmaker for himself, not for other people. And he's never had to do that. In OKC, you had Westbrook with all his flaws, still obviously a Hall of Fame player. You had Harden. They could make plays. You just do your thing, right? In Golden State, I don't even need to say anything about that. Brooklyn, you got Kyrie and Harden when they're there. Phoenix, you have Booker and Beale when he's there. Booker for sure. Right.

Speaker 4:
[25:18] Definitely a better passer.

Speaker 6:
[25:20] This is the first time where he's the only one that can try to make any plays to somebody else, and he's not good at that as evidenced by the nine freaking turnovers. He kept saying, we're not making shots. He wasn't taking shots. For him to only take three shots in the second half of essentially what I think is a must win is crazy. Like we're on this team, and I get it. You don't want to just go gun, but E-mate is not putting him in position. He shouldn't be at the top of the key handling the ball and stuff like that.

Speaker 2:
[25:58] So this is driving me nuts. The point guard issue is driving me nuts. I had Dusty pull together the last three Lakers Rockets games where Durant is at the top of the key, getting blitzed and turning the ball over, getting double teamed and we keep on running the same play. You know where we first saw this like, hey, double team Durant as he brings the ball up the court?

Speaker 4:
[26:25] Celtics Nets.

Speaker 2:
[26:26] Yes. And you know who was on the team? Marcus Smart. And you know who was the coach?

Speaker 6:
[26:32] That's right.

Speaker 2:
[26:32] E-mate Udoka.

Speaker 6:
[26:35] That's right.

Speaker 7:
[26:35] It's your plan.

Speaker 6:
[26:36] Great point.

Speaker 2:
[26:37] That would be like the karate kid entering a karate tournament a few years after his famous victory and getting grain kicked in the face. Like, oh, that's actually my move.

Speaker 7:
[26:50] That's my thing.

Speaker 2:
[26:51] It's being done to me.

Speaker 7:
[26:53] We all know it.

Speaker 6:
[26:54] I hadn't even thought about that. You're absolutely right.

Speaker 2:
[26:57] It's still, it's the infamous close sweep. He had 12 turnovers in the first two games. It's E-mate's plan that JJ Reddick is using. It's driving me bonkers and I'm not from Houston.

Speaker 4:
[27:08] The, can we, Das, can we just show the one sequence at the end of the game before we move on? Because this also encapsulates one of the, Durant LeBron, when we're done running this, that's fine. Give me a second just real quick. So listen, it's a five point game, there's a minute 10 left. Durant drives, could take a shot, instead throws it into traffic. Lakers get the ball, they're up five. Bron slowly comes up the court. You'll see him come in in a second. He is telling Marcus Smart, slow down, slow down, slow down, but he's lying. Because he knew that would make his defender relax.

Speaker 2:
[27:42] LeBron and Marcus Smart are on like veteran wavelength too.

Speaker 4:
[27:45] So he knew that would make his, right, that would make his defender relax, like, oh okay, they're gonna, and then cut to the basket, and great pass by Marcus Smart, great read. Durant and LeBron are gonna finish their career, averaging almost the exact same amount of points, having very similar scoring accolades. LeBron's just going to do it longer, you know, but there is a chance, Durant also breaks Kareem's record, like there, you know what I mean?

Speaker 6:
[28:11] Yeah, it was what, 27 this year?

Speaker 4:
[28:12] 27 this year. But the reason that Durant is one of the 20 greatest players ever, and LeBron very conservatively is one of the two greatest players ever, is everything that goes into basketball other than scoring. And you're seeing it on display, and that's on the court and leadership stuff, and you're seeing it on display this series right now, when Durant's got all the extra help, and it didn't matter less.

Speaker 6:
[28:37] If you switch them, if they switch places, Houston be running away with this.

Speaker 2:
[28:41] Very conservatively.

Speaker 6:
[28:44] Y'all know about Barrett.

Speaker 7:
[28:45] Very conservatively.

Speaker 2:
[28:48] Mendoza, better than Drake and Cam Moore, that's next.

Speaker 4:
[28:52] I was going to ask you that, Brooke.

Speaker 1:
[28:55] So good, so good, so good.

Speaker 10:
[28:57] Spring styles are at Nordstrom Rack stores now, and they're up to 60 percent off. Stock up and save on Rag and Bone, Madewell, Vince, All Saints and more of your favorites.

Speaker 5:
[29:07] How did I not know Rack has Adidas?

Speaker 10:
[29:09] Why do we Rack?

Speaker 1:
[29:09] For the hottest deals.

Speaker 10:
[29:10] Just so many good brands. Join the Nordy Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack.

Speaker 2:
[29:25] Check out the podcast if you get a chance. Giannis, oh my gosh.

Speaker 6:
[29:29] What?

Speaker 4:
[29:30] That was just a picture of me.

Speaker 7:
[29:32] You just acted scared.

Speaker 2:
[29:35] That's a piece of content, but I think if it just flashes. Oh, look at that jacket.

Speaker 7:
[29:40] Nice. Oh, gosh.

Speaker 2:
[29:44] A random picture of you from 10 years ago that came in 9th place. Of your 10 best looks, I don't think is.

Speaker 4:
[29:51] No, it actually came in 7th.

Speaker 2:
[29:54] Draft is on Thursday, coach. Not much suspense around number one pick Fernando Mendoza. So let's check in on one of our favorite news sources, an anonymous executive. Headline from the Athletic. Anonymous NFL draft intel. Fernando Mendoza, better prospect than Cam Ward, comma Drake Maye, question mark. I loved Cam Ward, but Fernando is a better prospect than him. There are some physical traits in term of arm strength and ability to run where Drake may have a little more, but I feel much better about Fernando than I did about Drake. And I like Drake. Are you buying Mendoza can be better than Drake Maye, who was in this, got a silver medal in the Superbowl.

Speaker 11:
[30:33] I'm buying why an exec could look at the end of their college careers and project that. And when you when you look back at Drake Maye's progression, he had that really good second season. And then it was weird. Yeah, it was weird. So the really outstanding second season. And then he goes into his third season and look at the number of touchdowns and interceptions. Interceptions only go up by two, but look at this dramatic drop in touchdowns. And then every other category, yards, almost 700 yards. And then you flip that. And if you go with Mendoza, it's just the opposite where anybody has a 3,000 yards, adds on 500 there. It's completion percentage gets that much better. But the most dramatic thing is that...

Speaker 4:
[31:16] 25 extra touchdowns.

Speaker 11:
[31:17] Yeah, the touchdowns and interception ratio, that's a dramatic jump. And then he has all the accolades, they win the national championship. So if you're just looking at, you know, second year to third year and that growth process, it's, you could see why someone would potentially say, hey, this is the direction it's going. Now, I think a big part of this is, you know, how well does he mesh with Kubiak? And you know, the fortunate thing for Drake Maye is that he was able to get Josh McDaniels, and that changed everything pretty dramatically.

Speaker 6:
[31:49] Yeah, I feel like I should throw this out. You just never know, obviously, with quarterbacks. I mean, Mahomes was the 10th pick of the draft.

Speaker 5:
[31:59] Behind Trubisky.

Speaker 6:
[32:00] Yeah, Josh Allen went to Wyoming. Lamar was the last pick of the first. So, he's not on their level, but Brock Purdy was freaking Mr. Irrelevant.

Speaker 5:
[32:09] So, you just don't know.

Speaker 6:
[32:10] Yeah, Brady is the greatest example. But I think Drake Maye can be a top five quarterback, like for several years. He can be in that top five group. I don't see that for Mendoza. I think if he's Jared Goff, I think that's kind of like a ceiling Jared, which is you take Jared Goff, or Kirk Cousins or somebody like that. So, I think Maye is better. But like you, and what the scout was saying in fairness, he was just saying, coming out into the draft, I like what I see from Mendoza. Because Drake was considered raw. Like, you know, he was like, not a project, but he's raw, we've got to develop him right.

Speaker 2:
[32:51] Dad played, and his brothers played.

Speaker 11:
[32:53] And then everybody was looking at why the drop-off. That was a big concern, is what changed between the second and the third season.

Speaker 6:
[33:02] And Drake is set up, you mentioned McDaniels, if he gets AJ. Brown and all that stuff, good coaching for Abel. But, I mean, we're seeing young guys kind of go up and down, CJ. Stroud, Jaden Daniels, so we'll still see.

Speaker 4:
[33:16] So if he's simply saying, he's purely viewing him as a prospect, meaning, like, if Fernando Mendoza was in Drake Maye's class, I would take him before I took Drake Maye, and you're not evaluating anything Drake Maye's done in the pros, then fine. You know what I mean?

Speaker 2:
[33:36] We're taking a little bit of a creative look.

Speaker 4:
[33:38] Right. But as far as the question we're asking, I would be utterly stunned. Like listen, I do not think Drake Maye played well in the playoffs. I think there were some real, not flaws exposed, but I think it's like, oh, here are some things that he didn't have to worry about in the regular season, he had to worry about in the playoffs that he needs to improve on moving forward. He is still with a bullet. One of the, if the question was, hey, you can have any five players in the league to build a franchise around draft them. He's going to be one of my, or any player in the league, he's going to be one of my first five picks.

Speaker 2:
[34:14] There's only, Hobbs, file that away.

Speaker 4:
[34:18] And the only, so if Fernando Mendoza is, you know, tracking to be a better pro than Drake Maye, then two things are true. One is, he is that Andrew Luck, Joe Burrow caliber prospect of the number one picks. Remember how I segmented them? Which I have not considered him that. I consider him more like the Jameis golf level of number one picks. We're like, hey, number one pick of the draft, but it's not.

Speaker 2:
[34:44] Burrow is similar. I mean, he's not as cool as Burrow, but national champion. You put gaudy numbers.

Speaker 4:
[34:49] I agree, but I just think the way I viewed the guys, and the other thing that will be true is this. If Fernando Mendoza is as good or better than Drake Maye, then the AFC West is shaping up to be the greatest quarterback division in the history of the NFL by a lot. If the worst quarterback in the division is either Justin Herbert or Bo Nix, Bo Nix who's been to a conference championship game essentially in the, say it again?

Speaker 2:
[35:16] He watched.

Speaker 4:
[35:17] Well, yeah, but I mean, got his team to a conference championship game. Herbert who has all these regular season records, Mendoza and one of the greatest quarterbacks. There's no weak, there's not a weak spot in there.

Speaker 11:
[35:28] I just wonder though if Drake Maye, if the Patriots hadn't made the change that they made and Drake Maye was there another year and the program flounder.

Speaker 7:
[35:37] Would we have seen Josh?

Speaker 11:
[35:38] Yeah, and he had another season like, you know, where we're looking at it going, okay, is this going to work out? Is it not going to work out? Would you feel as strongly as you do?

Speaker 8:
[35:47] No, probably not.

Speaker 11:
[35:47] We're seeing this from a totally different narrative. And here's the thing with Mendoza, if we can just bring up Kubiak's quarterback history, this is what concerns me is he's basically worked with veteran quarterbacks outside of Purdy, who was in, I believe his second year at the time, but he hasn't really worked with a rookie quarterback that's like Mendoza. So I'm curious how that's going to mess.

Speaker 4:
[36:14] And with Purdy, he had Shanahan as like really doing a lot of the work.

Speaker 11:
[36:17] He had Shanahan as a sounding board where all of these guys here, they had been through a significant amount of games, where Josh, we saw with Mac Jones how that translated. And then, you know, now we have another young quarterback. But this is a little bit more uncharted territory.

Speaker 2:
[36:35] So my mom's a first grade teacher, but you get, you know, you get like certified for elementary school, I think, and every once I think early in her career, she had she taught like fourth grade. And I was like, well, how do you like it? She's like, no, I like first grade. There is something about like her skill set that was better for first grade, fourth grade, even though they're all kids. What's the difference between having a quarterback who's fresh in the league and having a guy that's been in the league four years? Like, what do you actually do differently or what do you have to be better at?

Speaker 11:
[37:04] Well, like anybody who's new at something, they're going to make a bunch of mistakes where as a veteran coach, sometimes you forget that those mistakes are going to be made, especially when dealing with guys that that hasn't been an issue for the last 10 years. So you've got to have a level of patience with those players because it's not just the transition from college to pro football and all the things that come from an offensive perspective and a defensive perspective, but it's a new coaching staff. It's a new city. It's a whole new world that you forget because you're so far removed from it as a coach. And all the guys you've been dealing with, they've got wives and families, they've been through a million games.

Speaker 4:
[37:45] These guys are talking about mogul.

Speaker 11:
[37:47] Yeah, you're just talking about such a different level.

Speaker 2:
[37:51] The Vrabel, we've talked about when Vrabel goes and sees Drake Maye, when Drake Maye does something at the rare time that he will go on interception, Drake Maye will have his head down, and Vrabel will push his chin up like a kid. And I just don't think you would ever do that with, like, you know.

Speaker 11:
[38:08] Yeah, because for a lot of those guys, it's the first time they're going through adversity like that. And they've been so good for so long, and now they're, you know, the things that they've been so good at aren't working like they used to work. And there's an element of resilience and grit that you've got to instill in those guys. Look, it's going to be all right. We've all gone through this. But it's a learning curve.

Speaker 6:
[38:31] Remember, Mendoza is going to likely be coming off the bench for a while. So, you know what I mean? Which will be good.

Speaker 11:
[38:36] For about this long.

Speaker 6:
[38:37] Okay. You think it will be that quick?

Speaker 11:
[38:39] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[38:40] Really?

Speaker 11:
[38:40] Yeah. Look, the way it works, the overall draft, everybody will love Kirk Cousins for about two or three weeks, unless he lights it up and then it's going to be like, put this kid in.

Speaker 2:
[38:51] Mock drafts are coming in. Friend of the show, Bucky Brooks has the Giants totally remaking their offense on Thursday. Two picks, top 10, Jeremiah Love at five and Jordan Tyson from Arizona State at 10. Do you like the Giants going all in on weapons for Jackson Darnick?

Speaker 4:
[39:08] I don't hate it. Oh. So, here is, normally I would say, ah, go with big people, go with more marquee positions, you know, than running back as far as the pay scale. They have a franchise left tackle. Andrew Thomas, excellent players when he's healthy. They obviously, you know, hope and think they have their quarterback. They have spent massive capital via trade and their own draft picks on defensive linemen. I know they just traded away Dexter Lawrence, but you still have, you still have Thibodeau, you still have Abdul Carter, you still have Brian Burns. They have, you know, a marquee receiver, but he's coming off an injury. So now maybe people might take issue with which receiver he's picking because he's the one who has injury history. But the idea of we've, we've spent a lot of resources on the line on both lines. We, you know, scataboo is fun, but coming off an injury and just a guy, let's give a dynamic running back weapon, another wide receiver. So neighbors, we have to, you know, our weapons are taken care of. I would understand it. Like I think the Giants are for a team that is drafting fifth. They have more foundational pieces than you typically would. You know, the Titans are drafting fourth. It feels like they have two, two piece. They have their quarterback and Jeffrey Simmons and then a bare cupboard. I don't feel that way about the Giants. So unlike how I assume coach will feel, I wouldn't hate it.

Speaker 11:
[40:41] Yeah, you're right. Offensively, they, they re-signed the right tackle. They brought in another tackle from Baltimore which started the last two seasons. They brought in Isaiah, likely, paid him $40 million. They brought in Patrick Card, love it. Big gigantic fullback who can also play tight end. So they've done those things. Darnell Mooney, another guy they gave $3 million to. So they've addressed some of those things offensively. But defensively, they get rid of the biggest part of their run defense and Dexter Lawrence. And let's just take a look at how they did with all those pieces that they spent a lot of money with last year.

Speaker 4:
[41:16] So John Harvill is going to come think.

Speaker 11:
[41:18] So, okay. So we're 31st in opponent rush yards per game. Not great. 28th in yards per game, 25th in takeaways, 26th in points per game. So go right down the list. And you've taken away the biggest part of stopping the run that was 31st. So now, are you just, so we're going to the Bengals mentality, we're going to try to out score Dallas. We're going to try it out, we're just going to try it out.

Speaker 4:
[41:42] No, I think you're going to try to, with the offensive weapons, get a lead, and then actually be able to unleash your very highly drafted pass rushers. I think that would, you know, so less, in an optimistic view, less the Bengals way and more the Peyton Manning cults way.

Speaker 11:
[41:59] You know when people pass is when they can't have success over and over.

Speaker 4:
[42:02] Or when they're trailing. Jeremiah Love just went for 90 yards.

Speaker 11:
[42:05] They'll just, it'll be like body blows. They'll just beat you up and demoralize you until.

Speaker 6:
[42:09] Yeah, I'm more with coach. I love if they could get Jeremiah Love.

Speaker 4:
[42:14] But then it can go defense?

Speaker 6:
[42:16] Yeah, because they got enough weapon. I mean, Malik neighbors, I'm not counting on him being hurt every year, and I'm sure they aren't. So you got a legit number one, what is it? Darius Slayton and you mentioned the other receiver they got.

Speaker 4:
[42:29] Like those are decent two and three.

Speaker 6:
[42:31] Likely I think is a very good tight end. And Ricard at full back, if you get love behind him, I love it because I think that could be a good offense because offensive line is good too. And you also get to find out what is Jackson Dart. We have enough talent where if he's good, he should be able to flourish with this. They don't need, I don't think they need another receiver, but they do need coach. Now there's no, I don't think there's an interior defensive lineman worthy of the 10th pick. Now that's kind of the issue. But even if you take another, say you take an edge, they got a plethora of these edge guys. Maybe you, do you trade Thibodeau? If you draft a guy that you like, do you trade Thibodeau to get something out of me?

Speaker 4:
[43:14] 3.0 and take Sonny Stiles, the linebacker, who's a great run defender at five, and then go weapon at 10. You know what I mean?

Speaker 6:
[43:21] Use the defender. I want love, but he, yeah, he won't be here.

Speaker 11:
[43:23] But if they just had a running back like the Eagles, they'd be good.

Speaker 4:
[43:26] Okay.

Speaker 2:
[43:27] Well, that's what Bucky mentioned. Does Joe Shane say, oh, I screwed this up, I have to.

Speaker 11:
[43:33] Let me double down.

Speaker 4:
[43:35] Is it just, and then he sends John Harwell a text, can't I do this?

Speaker 3:
[43:41] Study and play, come together on a Windows 11 PC. And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds. Get the Unreal College Deal, everything you need to study and play with select Windows 11 PCs. Eligible students get a year of Microsoft 365 Premium and a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more at windows.com/studentoffer. While Supplies Last ends June 30th, turns at aka.ms slash College PC.

Speaker 2:
[44:11] Boston's two superstars took a backseat to Philly's new superstars. Celtics were cold, Philly was hot. BJ Edgecombe had 30 and 10. Maxi had an emphatic, look at this play. Oh my gosh. Maxi's emphatic 29.

Speaker 4:
[44:25] I think it's the youngest playoff 30 and 10 ever.

Speaker 2:
[44:28] Yeah, beat Magic. Yeah, my game. Look at the three-point percentage difference from games one to game two for the Sixers. Game one was the Philly's worst playoff game since 2019. Well, Philly.

Speaker 4:
[44:40] Oh, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2:
[44:41] Philly's.

Speaker 4:
[44:42] Philly's, I said the Philly's.

Speaker 2:
[44:43] Philly's apostrophe S, not the Philly's. Game two, they almost shot 50%. Should the Celtics be nervous?

Speaker 6:
[44:52] No, the Sixers are to the Celtics what the Hawks are to the Knicks, a pest.

Speaker 4:
[45:00] The Hawks are more, man. That's a separate series discussion, but go ahead.

Speaker 6:
[45:04] Just a little pest, a little more than we wanted to, you know, than we bargained for in the first round. Okay. And I agree. I think the Hawks are a bigger challenger than the Sixers, but it's that type of thing. They're not beating, they're not winning this series. Now, shout out to Maxey and Edgecombe, who look like a great back court in the future. And Edgecombe, you know, had a fantastic rookie season. Paul George, too. Settling into that third option role. So I want to shout out the Sixers. It was a nice win.

Speaker 4:
[45:36] So when it beads back, it's a big four, like Cleveland.

Speaker 6:
[45:38] Oh, yeah.

Speaker 4:
[45:38] Two big fours.

Speaker 6:
[45:39] He'll be back for a game. I hate to say it that way, but. But here's the problem with the Celtics. This is what happened last night. And we know this is what they do, but they live and die by the three. That was the like last night. They took 53 pointers out of their 89 shots. That is incredible. They only average 42 as high as that is as third in the league. Forty two threes a game for the season. So that 50 is even higher for them, especially on only 89 shots. The second and fourth quarter told the tale. Second quarter, they outscored by 11. Fourth quarter, they outscored by 7. Second quarter, they are one for eight from three. Third quarter, fourth quarter, four for 16. So five for 24 from three. That's 20% in the second and fourth quarters. That was the game. And my thing is this. I get it. That's what they do. That's Missoula Stah. He's my coach of the year on my ballot.

Speaker 2:
[46:35] It's not changing.

Speaker 6:
[46:36] But they don't have to live and die by this. You've got two great penetrators, Brown and Tate. They need to just do it.

Speaker 2:
[46:48] No way.

Speaker 6:
[46:49] By instinct, if you're missing a bunch of threes, take the ball to the hole. Pritchard can even do it too. But take the ball to the hole. The lane is always open because the floor is so spread.

Speaker 4:
[47:00] How many lost to the Knicks?

Speaker 6:
[47:02] Right. Thank you.

Speaker 4:
[47:04] I know.

Speaker 6:
[47:04] Maybe you should learn from that.

Speaker 4:
[47:06] Sean Grandy, Celtics play-by-play guy, friend of ours. He's been here before. I don't think he's been on the show. Had this tweet, which Brouss speaks to your point. Regular season playoffs, 12th time in the last 161 games. Celtics didn't shoot better than 26% from three. They've lost all 12. Three in the playoffs, games one and two to the Knicks last year. So like that is, they are, they're going to shoot a bunch of threes, and if they make a quarter of them or less, they lose every time.

Speaker 2:
[47:41] But they will give you a game every series.

Speaker 4:
[47:44] What they gave the Knicks, what, two and lost. So I don't, for this series, I agree with Rue, I'm not concerned. I think this is how they play. The thing that I would be a tiny bit concerned about is, is Derrick White going to be better on offense?

Speaker 2:
[48:03] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[48:04] Well, he hasn't had a, Right, that's what I was going to say. The kind of odd sub story of this amazing Boston season, Derrick White, their second best player, didn't have close to one of his best offensive years. He was unbelievable defensively, and Jalen Brown carried even a bigger load offensively, and you know, Shireman and Peyton Pritchard was great, but Derrick White was not good yesterday, and it was really Tatum and Brown, and they were plus one in Tatum's minutes, and then got annihilated in the nine minutes he didn't play. They also, when they came back, Tatum had a shot to take the lead with six minutes left, rushed it, missed it, and then Maxey came down, hit back to back threes, and the game was essentially over. So I wouldn't be worried about the Sixers, but they are, it almost feels like because of this style, they are the least likely of any of the great teams to sweep anyone.

Speaker 2:
[49:00] Yes.

Speaker 4:
[49:00] Because it's just like, you're just there, there's just gonna be a game. It's like, ah, we didn't hit our shots.

Speaker 2:
[49:05] And Bede said he's gonna go start doing strength and conditioning work on Monday, game three's on Friday.

Speaker 5:
[49:12] If they could somehow get it to two-two, and then in B, I could, that would be interesting. That would be interesting.

Speaker 2:
[49:21] Live from New York, and still wants to throw out a first pitch. You ever throw out a first pitch? When did you do it?

Speaker 4:
[49:26] Oh, Royals, my radio station was the play center. How'd you do? I practiced all day. I threw it maybe a little high.

Speaker 2:
[49:35] Okay. But from the rubber?

Speaker 4:
[49:37] From the mound. Over the plate though. From the mound to over the plate. But it was a little bit, if I'm being honest, almost like an EFYS, not quite an EFYS pitch, but it would have been like you would have had to catch it here. Probably a smooth 35.

Speaker 2:
[49:54] What was the parabolic?

Speaker 4:
[49:56] That's what I mean. It was kind of like a rainbow. I didn't want to dirt it.

Speaker 5:
[50:00] Right. That's better than dirt.

Speaker 4:
[50:02] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[50:04] Today, can LeBron keep this up? Only two wins away from next round. Meanwhile, we're 50 days into the World Cup. Former manager Bob Bradley joins the show. This is a great new show on FOX tonight with all the former managers, so it's going to be great. We'll talk to Bob about the chances of the US Men's National Team and Mike Ideal Arena. Well, let me get you caught up to speed on what's been going on. Last night, while watching There Will Be Blood for maybe the third time ever, I'm claiming it's your favorite movie, an elite committee of experts, analysts, and fans of probiotic sodas fought and toiled for the Midnight Oil to deliver the best segment in all sports. It's an honor and it's a privilege. It's time for NBA Tears Playoff Edition.

Speaker 4:
[50:47] Indeed it is. Thank you for the introduction.

Speaker 2:
[50:51] I did the probiotic thing for Brew.

Speaker 4:
[50:53] And the There Will Be Blood thing is just not true. I've seen that movie at least five times.

Speaker 2:
[50:59] How many times have you seen the least watched Mission Impossible?

Speaker 4:
[51:03] Well, Mission Impossible 2 doesn't count. It's not in the page. So that one's out. So I've seen that once. I don't know. KW, just take your trivia L's the way they are. There's eight Mission Impossibles.

Speaker 6:
[51:14] It was a route.

Speaker 4:
[51:15] I love, listen, now the audience is going to think I'm...

Speaker 2:
[51:18] He's like, I like it.

Speaker 12:
[51:19] It's very, it's an intellectually stimulating movie.

Speaker 2:
[51:21] It's not just about flesh masks.

Speaker 11:
[51:23] I'm like, I have a microchip.

Speaker 2:
[51:24] That's your favorite movie.

Speaker 4:
[51:26] Mission Impossible is my favorite series. It's my favorite, you know, octology or whatever. There Will Be Blood is my favorite movie. Brew got it right. He knew.

Speaker 6:
[51:36] The back story is who knew the most about Nick.

Speaker 4:
[51:39] Check Gianna's socials.

Speaker 6:
[51:40] Slaughtered Wildes.

Speaker 4:
[51:41] Or our socials. It is true. Off the Tears, new eliminations since we did this last. Clippers, Warriors, Hornets, eliminated. Where do the playoffs make sense? 14 teams out. Bottom of the Tears. Start booking the excursions. You know, when you go on vacation, you're like, hey, we're going to do snorkeling. Oh, I like that. We're going to take a little day trip to a little island. I don't know. Usually for KW, the Four Seasons probably sets it up for you. Of course. But I feel like the Raptors and the Suns, their wives and kids can start being like, so when we go to Turks, like what is it? Can we put the deposit down?

Speaker 2:
[52:24] Great call. That is happening.

Speaker 4:
[52:25] Group therapy. I don't know what else didn't fix it. You know what I didn't know about the KD Burner scandal?

Speaker 2:
[52:36] What?

Speaker 4:
[52:37] Those weren't his friends. It was just people, like NBA, people from NBA Twitter. It's not like those were like his close friends. He was, some of those people on that chat, he had allegedly, he'd never met.

Speaker 2:
[52:48] Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 4:
[52:49] It's just like being on a bet, just talking trash on Chiguna, he needs the juice.

Speaker 7:
[52:55] He needs to get out there in the world. The rush. Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[52:59] Man, you all got to go talk it out, and it's got to be like real group therapy two ways. Meaning, Reed Shepard gets to tell Emea Dohka what he thinks of him. Reed Shepard gets to get it off his chest. Everyone gets to talk to KD, do it on the flight to Houston. I don't know, but it's your guys only hope.

Speaker 6:
[53:18] Because I thought they had done that when they went on their little win streak.

Speaker 4:
[53:22] Yeah, but you guys play offense like you've never met each other. Yeah. And the other Rockets, when they see a double team getting sent it Kevin Durant, it does seem like in part of their brand, they're like, go deal with the big shot.

Speaker 7:
[53:36] You guys, you got to figure this out.

Speaker 4:
[53:42] Do it again. Magic Sixers, sorry, but we're only going to believe in you if you do what you did the last game again. If the Magic lose tonight, nobody cares that they won the first game anymore. They win tonight. It's like, oh, wow. Detroit's in real trouble. Same with Sixers. Sixers, go win game three at home and you'll have everyone's attention. I'm not saying it's fair. I just know nobody really right now is thinking Boston's in trouble. Maybe a few people are thinking Detroit's in trouble.

Speaker 5:
[54:12] What if they're close losses? Nip and tuck.

Speaker 4:
[54:17] I think that would mean more for the Magic than for the Sixers, because the Magic's on the road still, so it would mean more. Party bus. Can you imagine how much fun the trip home from San Antonio to Portland was after that 14 point comeback? Normally, I'd say like they're playing cards on the flight, but that's a 41-hour bus trip, and I think that's maybe what the Blades are doing.

Speaker 2:
[54:41] This guy just doesn't have any money.

Speaker 4:
[54:43] He's got plenty of money, but he bought the Carolina Hurricanes, cut all the costs, and then they got good, and now, evidently, it would appear he thinks that was part of it, but I don't care about the no t-shirts. KW, it was reported yesterday, the Blazers have two mascots, and he's like, we only need one.

Speaker 2:
[55:02] I mean, look, I don't want to be like Mr. Big Business. Why do you need two mascots?

Speaker 4:
[55:07] The fan experience. It's fun for the kids. The team, they, the team, Maseuse is hitting up Tiago Splitter. Like, hey, the game's at seven. We can't get to the arena until three. They said I have to check out of my room at 11 and I'm told I'm not allowed to do late checkout. Come on.

Speaker 2:
[55:28] Tiago Splitter is like, I also need a contract.

Speaker 4:
[55:30] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[55:31] Like a real coach, like no.

Speaker 4:
[55:34] So, but hey, don't let that take away from the fact, you might win the series. Yeah. I mean, that was a great, it got overshadowed by Wemby's injury and without Wemby's injury, it probably doesn't happen. But that game was tied at half time. The Spurs without Wemby for the whole second half had a 14-point lead with eight minutes left and then Drew Holliday. That's a fun Hall of Fame case and the Blazers.

Speaker 2:
[56:03] The Celtics had a great day. Outside of the real Celtics, Drew Holliday played great, Marcus Smart played great. Oh, my God.

Speaker 4:
[56:12] Seven-game war. Brew doesn't think the Hawks are any threat. I think they're a threat. If it can go six, it can go seven. If it goes seven, the other team can win.

Speaker 2:
[56:24] If it can go five, it can go six.

Speaker 4:
[56:26] That's a good point. Don't overreact in either direction. Don't overreact to the Cavs going up 2-0 on a Raptors team that doesn't seem that interested. And don't overreact Detroit on going down 0-1. Now, you go down 0-2 Detroit, you're in real trouble. Yeah. But this is, I still believe, going to be round two of the playoffs. And don't right now start making futures bets on the Cavs based on what's just the first couple of days of the playoffs. Wow. Witness to history. Literally every time LeBron does anything in the playoffs, because of his age and his years, it's like the oldest do it, that is history. But more kind of relevant, if the Lakers pull this off, this will be one of the three biggest round one upsets by Vegas odds ever.

Speaker 2:
[57:26] Really?

Speaker 4:
[57:27] The damn, the Rockets were minus 900.

Speaker 2:
[57:31] Three big, like so much tumbo.

Speaker 4:
[57:34] I don't know, I actually think the odds are shorter than you would think, because there's best of five. So I don't think you have like minus 1000 favorites. I think the biggest upset right now is we believe Warriors. 2008? Yeah, and I'll look up, I'll look them up what it was. I saw it, but again, minus 900, when it went off, it had gone down a little bit, but it opened at the Rockets minus 900. And if you're not a gambler, that means that if you bet on the Rockets, you bet $900, you won $100. They're essentially implied 90% to win. Long next 48 hours, thinking about the fact that we gave that game away and waiting to figure out what the verdict, not verdict, but the diagnosis, thank you, Brew, on Wemby is. And man, it would just feel so much different if they were up 2-0. If they're up 2-0, then you're just like, okay, we're concerned for Wemby, we wanna make sure he's okay, but we're gonna be fine. Now it's that plus, wait, could we be in trouble? Because they couldn't close that game out. Our great next rivalry, question mark, maybe. Like the, I understand that Spurs Thunder, we think it's gonna be that, but you gotta play each other in the playoffs for any of these rivalries. And we haven't had, I don't think, a great inter-conference rivalry in a long time.

Speaker 5:
[59:03] You don't think this is there already?

Speaker 4:
[59:06] I think it's becoming that. So yeah, maybe it is, but like in the last decade, the best rivalry was Cavs Warriors, but that was, you know, that was in...

Speaker 6:
[59:18] This might be the best rivalry right now.

Speaker 4:
[59:21] Because in the 2000 Aux, we had a bunch of inter-conference rivalries. Lakers, Kings, even though the Kings never got over the hump. The...

Speaker 6:
[59:30] Lakers, Spurs.

Speaker 4:
[59:30] Lakers, Spurs were unbelievable. Hell, Sunspurs, you know, with Steve Natt, those teams.

Speaker 2:
[59:38] Do you think it's Spurs Thunder, though?

Speaker 4:
[59:40] Well, I said that's what everybody thinks it's going to be. You got to see it. It's got to have an effect.

Speaker 6:
[59:44] I'll say right now, it's this, and then...

Speaker 2:
[59:46] That's why there's a question mark.

Speaker 6:
[59:47] It'll become Spurs Thunder.

Speaker 4:
[59:49] Yep. Cost of doing business, Boston. Listen, you shoot 45 threes a game. The cost of that is sometimes you're not going to make them and you're going to lose a game you shouldn't. They're fine with it. They are, you know, they have the long view of it. I am, again, I pick Celtics to win the title. I think they're going to win the title. If they get bounced early in the playoffs this year, like they did last year, like, oh, man, according to this shot quality calculator, we won that game by 24, but we lost. If that were to happen to them back to back years, does it change the way they play?

Speaker 6:
[60:30] That's a great question, because I think Missoula is going to win Coach of the Year.

Speaker 4:
[60:35] Yep.

Speaker 6:
[60:35] He obviously is an exceptional coach, but it would be one of those situations where you want to talk to him and be like, now, is it all him? Is Brad Stephens in on it too?

Speaker 2:
[60:48] I think it's him.

Speaker 6:
[60:49] You think it's more Missoula?

Speaker 2:
[60:50] I think he could glean new intel from it. I don't think he's beholden to this style.

Speaker 4:
[60:55] He seems stubborn, but for whatever it's worth, the Celtics aren't the first team to try this. Daryl Morey's Rockets did, and Daryl Morey's Rockets, Danny talks about Chris Ball's hamstring. The other thing, they missed 27 straight threes in a home game seven. They also had some ignominious playoff defeat. Again, I think the Celtics are going to be fine. It's just something interesting. And then, atop the tier smooth sail, Thunder earned themselves a nice, easy first round. And now maybe we'll, you know, we'll see what their round two looks like. It could all of a sudden be hard if it's the full strength Lakers. It also might be, well, I mean, harder than the Rockets. Let me put it like that. But it also might be the Lakers not at full strength. Like there is no guarantee that Luca is back.

Speaker 2:
[61:50] I'm a hamstring pester.

Speaker 4:
[61:51] And so, you know, they seem to be, and all of a sudden Wemby's hurt, like things are breaking thunder way. Go ahead.

Speaker 2:
[61:57] Bonus takes.

Speaker 6:
[61:59] Well, first my real take. The tears weren't bad. First were bad. I apologize for my earlier. Thank you. But at the risk of overreacting, I'm going to move the Cavs ahead of the Lakers. Cavs, look, I got to give them a look. They're playing well. They are facing what was the fifth best defense in the league. Scottie Barnes, gun making all defensive team, maybe first team, they are running through them. Leading the playoffs right now, 120 points a game, shooting 54 percent from the floor. Donovan is cooking, Harden is cooking, Evan Mobley cooking, all of them well above 20 points a game. So they look great. And in the second round, if Detroit is shaky or even has trouble with Orlando, the path for them to get to the conference finals is right there. And the Lakers, I've said it and I mean it, if they were in the East, I think they'd be maybe the favorite at full strength to win the East. But their path to get to the conference finals is a lot harder than the Cavs. Yeah, the Cavs path. Quick bonus take, quick bonus take.

Speaker 5:
[63:12] You made me forget what it was, Wilde.

Speaker 6:
[63:14] Oh no. What was my bonus take? Oh, oh, oh, oh, Nick's. I gotta move, I gotta move to Nick's. The Nick's and the Hawks are not even. They literally are. All right, shout out to Ramsey. All right, the Nick's and the Hawks are not even. I gotta move the Nick's ahead of the Hawks.

Speaker 2:
[63:29] Actually, the Hawks stole home court.

Speaker 5:
[63:31] Man, it should be.

Speaker 6:
[63:32] No, they're a pesky little team, but they're going home. All right, and like going home, going Cancun, one, two, three, Cancun. So, yeah, Nick should be ahead of the Hawks.

Speaker 4:
[63:42] Okay, listen, I think the Nick's are gonna win the series. I think that the Hawks and Nick's, at this moment, look to be about equipment.

Speaker 2:
[63:51] I would say the Hawks look better.

Speaker 4:
[63:52] I think that's fair.

Speaker 6:
[63:52] Really?

Speaker 2:
[63:53] Well, they went into medicine.

Speaker 6:
[63:54] Did you pick the Hawks to win the series?

Speaker 2:
[63:57] No.

Speaker 6:
[63:57] Are you doing it now?

Speaker 2:
[63:58] Well, if you steal home court advantage, yeah.

Speaker 5:
[64:01] Okay, so you got the Hawks to win the series.

Speaker 2:
[64:03] Sure, I got the Hawks.

Speaker 7:
[64:06] He doesn't care. I like the Hawks.

Speaker 2:
[64:09] I'm always a champion of the underdogs.

Speaker 5:
[64:12] All right.

Speaker 2:
[64:14] If you're the number one seed, you don't actually want to be mentioned on the show. No news is good news. Thunder are going into game two tonight. If you go on to your DVR or your on-demand, on FOX1 or YouTube, where you hunt for First Things First Thunder conversations, you won't find any because it's just a sunny day in San Diego. It's not really worth reporting. Now, on the flip side, if you're the number one seed and you get the first ever wire-to-wire loss in your building, well, that's newsworthy. Therefore, the Orlando Magic, we're on a small but important hot streak.

Speaker 4:
[65:02] This is awesome.

Speaker 2:
[65:03] Look who's back.

Speaker 4:
[65:05] Believable. Bru, we have tried to tell him. The magic man. He's the magic guy and he has said repeatedly, no, I'm not. I'm the Rockets and Hornets guy.

Speaker 2:
[65:14] I needed to see a little bit more.

Speaker 4:
[65:17] Okay, go on.

Speaker 2:
[65:18] Last two games. Well, they lost a bad play-in game. Then they came out and tore through the Hornets.

Speaker 7:
[65:26] I bounced off of the Hornets.

Speaker 2:
[65:28] Look at time trailing. 13 seconds. These are must-win, must-win, kind of win games. Only meant trailing 13 seconds. And playing with confidence. This is torn from the headlines. Paolo's crazy pass in a win over Pistons showed what makes him special. Want to see the crazy pass?

Speaker 4:
[65:45] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[65:46] Less crazy than you would expect. However, a good, confident, we're up by nine.

Speaker 7:
[65:53] Hey, I'll take it. I like that stuff.

Speaker 2:
[65:55] Well, it is according to the Athletic and I liked it.

Speaker 4:
[65:57] Are you sure that's the pass?

Speaker 7:
[66:00] Yes, it was embedded in the article. I'm telling you that's a crazy pass.

Speaker 4:
[66:04] I don't believe that pass got an headline.

Speaker 2:
[66:06] A confident pass.

Speaker 7:
[66:08] Oh, whatever.

Speaker 2:
[66:09] One handed. They're the 8C. They shouldn't be doing stuff like this. They should feel tight. And I know the counter argument is, well, the Pistons are at home. Long storied history of Detroit basketball. What in the world? They lost 11 straight home games.

Speaker 4:
[66:25] They haven't won a home game, playoff game since Johnson was there.

Speaker 2:
[66:28] What in the world?

Speaker 5:
[66:29] 2008.

Speaker 2:
[66:30] Yeah. If they lose this one, you got to change up t-shirts or something. Magic deserves some respect. I'm back on Magic Kev.

Speaker 7:
[66:39] I'm out here.

Speaker 2:
[66:39] You play that My Pony song.

Speaker 7:
[66:42] You like that song?

Speaker 4:
[66:44] No.

Speaker 7:
[66:45] McConahay and Chaps?

Speaker 4:
[66:49] We tried to get you on the Magic all year.

Speaker 2:
[66:51] Well, I want to be on an eight seed.

Speaker 4:
[66:53] I didn't like them.

Speaker 7:
[66:54] Why don't you?

Speaker 4:
[66:55] You didn't want to be on an eight seed, so instead you were on the nine seed Hornet.

Speaker 7:
[66:59] I'm off the horse.

Speaker 4:
[67:02] And then you were big on the Rockets.

Speaker 2:
[67:04] Hey, you know what?

Speaker 4:
[67:06] You were big on the Rockets yesterday.

Speaker 7:
[67:11] Yes, I'm still in on the Rockets next.

Speaker 2:
[67:15] Welcome back to the show. We've got Bob Bradley coming up in about 10 minutes, but right now we're headed back to LA. Lakers win, LeBron was explosive 28-8 and seven assists, played 39 minutes, had a few good dunks. Never lost a series up 2-0, and he's up 2-0 now. Here's LeBron on this reverse dunk.

Speaker 13:
[67:34] I don't even know what, I don't even know what that was about. I gotta sit down somewhere, I gotta sit down somewhere.

Speaker 2:
[67:43] Do you think he can keep this up?

Speaker 4:
[67:45] Well, listen, I thought yesterday he wasn't at his best. He found a way to make it work and he was obviously seeing the game or as Brew would say reading the game as well as anybody can, but he only hit jump shots when Jay Sean Tate made a med and he was getting to the basket and then getting denied and so-

Speaker 6:
[68:11] It's coming up short.

Speaker 4:
[68:11] Right, coming up short and I'm a little anxious about the, so they play Friday and then they play Sunday. Friday, the Rockets are nine and a half point favorites, Brew, so the bookmakers think that-

Speaker 6:
[68:27] They've been watching?

Speaker 4:
[68:29] Oh, I mean, they-

Speaker 6:
[68:30] They only lost by a seventh, so-

Speaker 4:
[68:32] And the, but also they're at home, they're desperate, all of it. The Rockets win Friday, that's the quickest turnaround of the series, Sundays at home, all that. I still, I believe this will go back to Los Angeles 3-1, Lakers.

Speaker 2:
[68:50] Wow. You've been right so far.

Speaker 4:
[68:53] And I, except for before the, to be fair, before the series started, I did pick, but I immediately switched.

Speaker 2:
[68:59] I never believed that.

Speaker 4:
[69:00] I know.

Speaker 2:
[69:01] You're like, I'm taking Rockets. I'm like, no, he's not.

Speaker 4:
[69:04] But can I throw, Brew, do you want to answer before I throw out my Lakers idea when everyone comes back? Or do you?

Speaker 6:
[69:09] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think he, you make a great point because I think as the playoffs go on, assuming they advance, the games get closer together, he won't have as much time to recover. So then maybe he won't be able to keep this up. Right now, I do think he can keep this up. I think the bigger question, well, let me say why I think he can keep it up. The way he's running the offense is different from what I think we all envisioned, where he was bringing it up 90 percent of the time, and just kind of doing his thing and penetrating and then kicking out to shooters all the time. He is lining up a lot of times on the elbow. He is, you know, cutting off screens and things like that. He is posting up stuff that the running is not as taxing as bringing it up every time against defense. So I think that's a factor. I think the biggest question is can Canard, Lou Canard and Marcus Smart keep it up. Lou Canard is averaging 25 points in this series on 60 plus percent shooting. Marcus Smart is averaging 20 on like 52 percent shooting. So can they keep it up? Because LeBron is going to do his thing, but he does need these guys to keep hitting shots. I think that's the bigger question for the Lakers.

Speaker 4:
[70:29] But you think the series is over.

Speaker 6:
[70:31] Yeah, I think I don't see LeBron losing four of five to a discombobulated Rockets team. They might push in, I could be wrong, but I just think the Rockets look like they're a mess.

Speaker 2:
[70:44] What do you want to do? Do you want to do Rockets now?

Speaker 4:
[70:46] No, no, no, no. I just didn't know if you thought the series was over.

Speaker 2:
[70:50] No, I definitely do not think the series is over.

Speaker 4:
[70:53] So I also think the series is over. LeBron, you said he's 24-0 went up 2-0. He's 32-0 went up two games at any point in the series, so 2-0 or 3-1. So I am looking ahead to a world where the Lakers are back full strength, and I'm thinking, how do you get some of this version of LeBron? And I think all year long, the smartest way, if there were no egos and no contracts, having Austin Reeves be Manu Genoble was the smartest thing. But Austin is, you know, in a contract year. So it was just, it would have been unfair to him, and LeBron was hurt to start the year, Austin was playing so great, didn't make sense. In theory, then you could have asked LeBron to do that, but he's LeBron, you're not going to... With Austin coming back off an injury, does that give JJ the opportunity to be like, hey, we're going to, as part of easing you back in, we're going to have you come off the bench and run that, you know, run that unit and then allow there, you know, there to be more time where Austin runs a unit, LeBron, you know, and LeBron and Luke are together, or just where there's two of the three of them on the court like that. I think that might be the path because it would be watching LeBron get this out of, and again, it's credit to Mark Smart and Luke Kennard and Rui Hotchamore for being pros and being excellent. But, and Luca is a willing passer. Luca averages eight and a half assists for his career, but it's different.

Speaker 6:
[72:34] Every assist is not created.

Speaker 4:
[72:36] Correct. And that's the point you've been making. It would be foolish to have access to this level of playmaking and put it on the shelf when those guys get back.

Speaker 6:
[72:47] But how does that change, even if Austin's on the bench, how does that change?

Speaker 4:
[72:51] Well, I think that, because Luca has deferred to Austin on some possessions. You know what I mean? So it's just Luca would be deferring to LeBron, and then there would be more, you understand what I mean? There would be less time with the three of them on the court together, more time where each of them kind of runs the show their own way. I think that might make sense.

Speaker 6:
[73:12] I don't think it's a bad idea to have Austin come off the bench. I think that would work. And he could shine in that role. He could still average 20 plus in that role. I'll be honest, LeBron, this LeBron is a little different than the LeBron that was the third option. He's no longer the third option. But he was still averaging about 20 points as the third option. And he was doing all the other things. He still was getting his assist, his rebounds. So I think that LeBron was very effective, too. Maybe he's on the elbow a little more, even when Luke and Reeves are back. Maybe he's posting a little more, backing guys down a little more. But I think LeBron will... Those three, I think they'll be... Your idea is not bad, I'll put it that way. But I think LeBron will be...

Speaker 11:
[74:02] Getting ahead of yourselves.

Speaker 2:
[74:04] Game series hasn't even started. KD, lost his seventh straight playoff game, had nine turnovers, only made seven shots. How much of this loss do you put on him?

Speaker 6:
[74:15] I mean, the lion's share.

Speaker 2:
[74:17] Really?

Speaker 6:
[74:18] Like, if I had to name one... He's the superstar. If they won, we would have given him most of the credit. And I just don't see how... Look, he had nine turnovers. In fairness to KD, two of them were off Terry Easton's hands, should have caught him. And one, Iman Thompson, should have caught just right there. He just dropped it. So all of the turnovers weren't KD's fault. He only had six. Right. So he still had six, all right? And for you to take three shots or five shots in the second half of a, I feel, must win playoff game when your team lacks scoring, lacks shooting, and you're Kevin Durant. Like, I don't get that at all. I've heard, I've seen some people say, oh, he was, he was fatigued. He, he spent it all in the first half. You missed one game. You didn't miss a month. Well, one game, missing one game should not take your wind. And you can't play a freaking NBA game for 40 minutes. He's in good enough shape. That's not, that's an excuse. It's not legit. He just, I think he did have maybe too much ball handling duties in the second half, and they were trapping him, and he was getting rid of the ball, turning it over, or just getting rid of it, period. But some of it's on Udoka, because I, the way he's using KD I just don't like, but KD's, this is his team, and they, that was a game they needed against a lower seed.

Speaker 4:
[75:48] I put a lot of it on here.

Speaker 6:
[75:50] Or a team that's expected to dare to beat, so I put it on KD.

Speaker 2:
[75:54] Here's why I believe in the Rockets. The Rockets are a flawed team. The Rockets are a team that maybe have never hung out together after the game. The Rockets are, however, a team that can score a hundred points. Like after the game, KD and Emey are like, we have to make our shots. I think that's pretty simple. It may sound overly simple, but I think if they make their shots, they're okay. Counterpoint to my own argument. Game one, they scored 98. Game two, they scored 94. On March 16th against the Lakers, they scored 92. And on March 18th, they scored 116. So three of the last four games against JJ Reddick and LeBron James, they have scored under 99 points. Emey seems confident. Emey is still a good coach. This team still won a bunch of games. They still ended the year nine and one, and they were scoring 124, 130. The fact that they look this bad and they're headed home, which they are good at home, they're just like barely above 500 on the road. I have a hanging on for dear life confidence in the Rockets.

Speaker 4:
[77:09] Okay. So listen, and I've talked about Vegas odds a lot today. Vegas odds on the series now, it's just barely a weighted coin in the Lakers' favor. It's like 55 percent, 45 percent Lakers. So Vegas certainly doesn't think it's over. They just think the Lakers are now, for the first time, and shockingly the slight favorite. And I don't want to be too harsh on Durant. And I also think, in a lot of corners this morning on television, folks were just killing Durant as a way, because it was a way to avoid giving the Lakers and JJ and Braun credit. With all that said, this, we said it before, and just missing game one doesn't change the fact that we all agreed, if this Lakers team, without Luke and AR., beats this Rockets team, it's a catastrophe for Kevin Durant. And the fact that he missed game one made us feel like, oh, well, everything, like in the meantime, we don't know when he's going to come back. He was there yesterday.

Speaker 2:
[78:13] Yeah, he scored four fewer points.

Speaker 4:
[78:15] He was the best player on the court in the first half. And at half time, they threw up the, like, some whatever the gambling sponsor was, like player prop odds. And all it was Mello, T Mac and Vince. Thank you. They all were like, oh, yeah, penciled Durant in for like 33 or 34 or something like that. And that seemed totally reasonable. It's like, well, yeah, he scored 20 of the easiest points you're ever going to see. And it looked like he had a lot left in the tank because he only took a half dozen or so shots in route to it. The seven straight playoff losses dates. He hasn't won a playoff game since 2023, 2026. I agree with you, Brew, that he is in the it's all gravy part of his career. But there are folks that still mentally are like, yeah, but with everything Golden State related. And every shot he has at being like, let me remind you that I can lead a team. And it doesn't just, okay, you don't win a championship. But it ends in catastrophe.

Speaker 6:
[79:22] That last several stops.

Speaker 4:
[79:23] Right. Which it'd be brutal, absolutely brutal. And like, it is now on the board that this series is a sweep in the other direction. No way. It's on the board.

Speaker 2:
[79:35] On the board, yes.

Speaker 4:
[79:36] If they lose game three, they are one, two, three.

Speaker 2:
[79:39] Well, they're going to quit.

Speaker 12:
[79:42] They've given you the baton. I'm going to take it as far and for as long as I can. And then when the moment comes, I'm going to hand it off. In this case, I think I handed it off to you, Jordan. So it wasn't my choice, but that's how it went.

Speaker 2:
[79:58] FIFA World Cup Roundtable, USA head coaches tonight. 6.30 Eastern, right here on FS1. Joining us now, former head coach Bob Bradley. Bob, thanks for joining us. What was your number one take away, or what did you enjoy most about sitting down with all the former US men's national team coaches?

Speaker 12:
[80:17] Stu Holden did a great job leading the discussion, and we all had similar challenges and experiences, but we all look at things our own way. So I think it came out in the discussion.

Speaker 4:
[80:30] What are some of the unique challenges to this specific job in coaching this team, and some of the things that you think Pochettino might be going through right now, and how to best deal with them?

Speaker 12:
[80:45] When you're putting together your best squad, you're looking at players from different leagues. And so that got discussed on the round table. And your ability to compare players from leagues in Europe still then look at MLS and consider guys that might have qualities that you think still help the team. It's a challenge, because the game's played in different countries, different levels. And you have to figure out how do you build a roster that's got all the right qualities.

Speaker 6:
[81:24] Tyler Adams, he said this about Pochettino. He established a sense that no one is safe. Is that a good thing?

Speaker 12:
[81:34] That is a good thing. The national team is bigger than any one player. And I think that everybody has their own way to establish standards. And Pochettino has made it clear that when you come into the national team, no one is bigger than the team. And everybody has to come in and understand what we're all about. And I do think that ultimately, that's how you put the best team together.

Speaker 2:
[82:01] Bob, what do you think about Gio Reyna? I've sort of just fallen in love with the concept of Gio Reyna. Maybe it's a little bit of like Claudio Reyna, leftover fandom. But it feels like he's got star qualities that I want to inject into the team. He didn't get a lot of minutes in the friendlies. He could go either way. I know he's not even playing for his club team. What do you think about Gio joining the squad?

Speaker 12:
[82:30] I think it's right on the fence. There are a lot of people that feel like you. We see certain moments when Gio pulls off a play, and we think we need more of that.

Speaker 2:
[82:41] Yes.

Speaker 12:
[82:43] But when he's not playing regularly with his club team, you have to then look hard at his fitness level, his ability to come in and handle the role. Certainly, every team needs a player that can come on the field when you need a goal, when the other team is defending deep, and make a play to unlock the defense. And so that's the plus of Gio, and that's where Pochettino is going to have to compare him to a few other guys.

Speaker 4:
[83:14] Bob, obviously, our last two, you know, call, I was going to say warm-ups, but the Friendlies, the last two matches weren't really, really poorly. There's two more before the World Cup, where we played two teams. Senegal, who's just barely head of the United States in the FIFA World Rankings, and Germany, who's the top 10 team in the FIFA World Rankings. Now, I don't assume either us nor those teams are going to be playing their full World Cup rosters in those games, but how important is getting a result in those games to have some type of momentum heading into this home World Cup?

Speaker 12:
[83:52] It is important to have some momentum, but those games are tricky, because all players know that as you're getting closer and closer to the World Cup, the injury factor and the ability to be at your best when the World Cup starts, that comes into play. And so it will be interesting. I do think that we've not seen our best version of a team yet. And even in the last two Friendlies against Portugal and Belgium, Pochettino looked at some different options. So I do expect that we're going to see his best 11, at least in one of those games. And that's going to give us a little clearer idea of what to expect when the World Cup starts.

Speaker 6:
[84:40] How important is it, Bob, that Team USA wins its group?

Speaker 12:
[84:45] It is important. So this World Cup is a little different. There's more teams. So 48 teams means 12 groups of four. The big change is that that means eight third-place teams go through. So the dynamic, especially on game day three, will be a little bit different. But where you finish will determine who you play. And in order to have the greatest chance in the round of 32 and the greatest chance in the round of 16, finishing atop your group will really make a difference.

Speaker 2:
[85:21] We gotta win these friendlies.

Speaker 4:
[85:24] Certainly against Senegal. Germany can be tough. I know, but it's good too.

Speaker 2:
[85:28] But we just, it doesn't look, Bob, we're talking about these NBA playoffs right now. And you can see that some teams feel aren't afraid and feel like they expect to win. And I would just be nervous if we lose our third straight friendly. And then you lose against Germany. So you lose four in a row, and we're supposed to be super pumped up in the group stage. I just don't see it. So I'm stressed out about it. That's just a take, but here's my question. Polisic's in a bit of a goal drought. Baligan's going the other way. He's got last 10 games for Monaco. He's got 10 goals. He scored two against PSG. That was Champions League, Josh, PSG? Two against PSG in the Champions League, and then one at the other one. So he's super hot. Do you think he's going to keep this momentum going? How do you think his confidence is going to be?

Speaker 12:
[86:25] I think Baligan is a key because one thing every coach spends a lot of time thinking about is where will the goals come from? He has shown an ability to get into the box. He scores different goals. So when I look at things, and coaches like to look down the spine of the team, and if you start with Baligan, and now you come to Tyler Adams, who was already mentioned, and then you get to Chris Richards, that becomes the important spine for this team to do well.

Speaker 2:
[86:57] Is there a chance Baligan can usurp Polisic as like the star of the squad?

Speaker 12:
[87:05] Goals determine everything. So if Baligan is hot at the right time, everybody will be talking about him, 100%.

Speaker 2:
[87:13] I like that. I'm a Baligan guy.

Speaker 4:
[87:15] I think you already have.

Speaker 2:
[87:16] Well, I like Hershey, Pennsylvania, don't get me wrong. All right. 50 days until FIFA World Cup kicks off. USA Roundtable, USA head coaches tonight, 6.30 on FS1. Bob, thank you very much. Hope to see you during the World Cup. Thank you, Bob. Thanks, Bob. Thanks, guys. Live from New York, it's First Things First Overtime. Today, Celtics lose. Should they be concerned? Former Celtic great, Isaiah Thomas. He's actually current Celtic great, Isaiah Thomas. Current Celtic great? Well, a Celtic great. You know what I'm saying? It's not like former...

Speaker 4:
[87:50] No, he's a former Celtic great.

Speaker 2:
[87:52] No, he's a Celtic great.

Speaker 5:
[87:54] Okay, then I think you should say former Celtic all-star.

Speaker 2:
[87:58] Isaiah Thomas.

Speaker 4:
[88:00] He's not currently on the Celtics. He's still an all-time great.

Speaker 2:
[88:04] He's an all-time great.

Speaker 5:
[88:05] That was a fantastic season.

Speaker 4:
[88:06] Yeah, 28 a game. Finished top five MVP.

Speaker 6:
[88:08] Four of all my MVP values.

Speaker 4:
[88:10] Great player.

Speaker 6:
[88:11] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[88:12] I'm looking forward to this, as am I.

Speaker 4:
[88:14] Shortest guy ever to finish top five on Bruce Bella, I guarantee it.

Speaker 2:
[88:17] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[88:18] I guarantee it.

Speaker 6:
[88:18] What is he, five?

Speaker 4:
[88:19] Five-eight.

Speaker 2:
[88:20] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[88:20] You never voted for Spud or Muggsy.

Speaker 2:
[88:23] Can the Cowboys fix their defense on Thursday? One Felt swoop. And finally, is it Felt?

Speaker 4:
[88:29] Fell. One Felt swoop.

Speaker 2:
[88:31] I know it's Felt.

Speaker 4:
[88:32] Gosh, that goes in the same book as Valid Victoria. Did you know that, Danny? He thought the top of the class got named Valid Victorian.

Speaker 6:
[88:42] The Valid Victorian.

Speaker 8:
[88:42] That is not what it is.

Speaker 7:
[88:43] The Valid Victorian.

Speaker 8:
[88:46] You learn things every day.

Speaker 4:
[88:47] No.

Speaker 6:
[88:48] You're the first person I ever met who thought that.

Speaker 4:
[88:50] This isn't a chomping, champing at the big situation.

Speaker 7:
[88:53] Valid Victorian. Valid Victorian.

Speaker 8:
[88:55] That also sounds good.

Speaker 6:
[88:57] It makes sense why you thought that. I never thought that in my life.

Speaker 7:
[89:02] You were the Valid Victorian.

Speaker 8:
[89:03] Valid Victorian. You were victorious.

Speaker 7:
[89:06] Yeah, I get it. What is it really again?

Speaker 4:
[89:10] Valid Victorian.

Speaker 2:
[89:11] What does that mean?

Speaker 4:
[89:12] It means the valedictory.

Speaker 7:
[89:15] The top person in their class.

Speaker 2:
[89:18] I like valid Victorian.

Speaker 4:
[89:21] You like pelt swoop. You buy it at Michael's.

Speaker 2:
[89:26] Right. Lakers roll the rockets. LeBron was flying through the lane, dunking. KD was turning the ball over. He's not a point guard, though. What do you want to do, Parkins? Here's KD and LeBron.

Speaker 9:
[89:39] We're just not making shots, to be honest. We're not shooting the ball well. We're getting good looks. We're missing a lot of layups.

Speaker 1:
[89:48] But yeah, I just think that's the difference in the game.

Speaker 13:
[89:50] They're making shots. I love the postseason. I've been doing this since 2021, thinking my first postseason game was 21. So, 20 years. I know I missed it a couple of times, but from that moment at 21, that first game, I made my mark. And for 20 years, I've been thinking about the postseason. So, I don't shy away from it.

Speaker 2:
[90:12] Okay. What was their headline here? KD or Durant? Oh no, that's the same person.

Speaker 4:
[90:17] That is what you wrote. LeBron or KD.

Speaker 8:
[90:20] KD or Durant. He's the valedictorian. The headline is the Rockets. And like before I, this is not taking credit away from LeBron.

Speaker 4:
[90:31] Definitely is. It's definitely, it's already happening.

Speaker 8:
[90:34] I promise you, it's not. I just, you will give the ample credit to LeBron. And so, let me just focus on the Durant side of it, because I feel like the Durant Rockets side is like basketball embarrassing. That, that, that can't happen. There, two of their top three players are out. Those players, Austin Reeves and Luka Donicic are defensive liabilities. You would think by how we've been watching the Rockets play offense, that those guys were replaced by like Scotty Pippen and Dennis Rodman in their prime. And Marcus Smart is a very good defensive player, but he's 32 years old, and it's Luke Kennard. Houston should be able to score more than 94 points. If Kevin Durant is healthy enough to play 41 minutes of basketball, why did he take 12 shots? Why did he score 3 points in the second half? And I understand they don't have a point guard. Eme, you are considered a top 5 coach in the league.

Speaker 6:
[91:38] People love Eme.

Speaker 4:
[91:39] It certainly has been historically, even if he's not right now.

Speaker 8:
[91:42] People love him.

Speaker 4:
[91:44] I'm not saying he's not.

Speaker 6:
[91:44] He's getting out coached. He is getting out coached badly.

Speaker 8:
[91:48] But buy a lot, like figure out a way with the cross action, with the screen. Can we get 7 foot Kevin Durant matched up on someone shorter than him and just catch the ball?

Speaker 4:
[92:05] Can we not ask future first ballot, all time legend Kevin Durant in year 19 to be able to read a double team?

Speaker 8:
[92:13] That's fine, but players are not perfect, maybe other than LeBron. But players are not perfect. Kevin Durant is not a beat the double team off the dribble, 45 feet away from the basket guy. That's just not what he is.

Speaker 6:
[92:30] He shouldn't even have had the ball out there.

Speaker 8:
[92:32] That's what I'm saying. It's kind of jarring to watch one of the 20 greatest players in the history of the sport play 41 minutes in a borderline do or die playoff game and take 12 shots and have 9 turnovers and not get the ball where he can cook. He's one of the great mid-range.

Speaker 4:
[92:50] And he was cooking the first half. Looked like he was on pace for a 35-point game. Or he was on pace for a 40-point game.

Speaker 8:
[92:57] So I guess I just put KD's dud. Of course, players deserve most credit and most blame. But that is just like such a team failure. Eamonn Thompson, you need to be better. Eme Odoka, you need to be better. Reed Shepard, you need to get on the court.

Speaker 4:
[93:15] What about the guy who is supposed to actually be the best player on the team? I mean, we haven't said Shingoon's name. Shingoon is supposed to be their best player. Durant was supposed to be the final piece and the scorer. But Shingoon was supposed to be, if there was an MVP candidate on this year's Rockets before the season, it was supposed to be Shingoon, even if we didn't think it was going to happen. He's the guy who is supposed to be their best player.

Speaker 8:
[93:37] Well, Nick, and you know I texted you this last night during the game, it was the next point I was going to make and I understand that this, I don't mean this to be like hot take, clip for social. Is he among or the most overrated player in basketball?

Speaker 6:
[93:51] Okay.

Speaker 8:
[93:52] He, why, he's supposed to be baby Jokic.

Speaker 6:
[93:57] No, he's baby Sabonis. That's my take. Not Arvidis, but De Montes. So that's what he's looking like. And I, look, I'd have to go through who I think is the most overrated. I don't think he would be the most overrated, but he is wildly disappointing in this series. I mean, wildly, to the point I am recalibrating where I feel he is in the league. I have felt this guy is a great player and I have felt he could be the centerpiece of the trade to get you Yanis. If I'm Milwaukee and I'm watching this, I'm like, oh no, oh no, like, he's ruining that trade, right? So he has been terrible. The question was, what's the bigger story, LeBron's great play or Kevin Durant's dud? I think it was Durant being a dud. Taking nothing away from LeBron who played great, but it wasn't LeBron's greatest game. I mean, he shot eight for 20, he missed a lot of shots, he played terrifically. I think a big story was Marcus Smart. Marcus Smart, 25 points, five steals, seven dimes, and Luke Canara continues to play really well. But the biggest story to me was Durant for all the reasons you said. Basically, a must win. You come out and take five shots in the second half when your team is dying for some offense, dying for some leadership. I get that Durant's not a leader, but you're a veteran Hall of Famer, future Hall of Famer, that these guys all grew up looking up to. Take over the game. You lost by seven, seven points. If he doesn't have nine turnovers, if he takes more than five shots, scores more than three points in the second half, they probably win the game.

Speaker 4:
[95:47] It's a five point game with a minute 15 left. Rockets ball, ball in Durant's hands and he turns it over. Like I understand they're big underdogs there, but like if Durant just pulls up instead of turning it over, it's a three point game with a minute left and you're a little nervous if you're Lakers. Lakers are not a great free throw shooting team, Marcus, who's one of their better free throw shooters, already missed free throws, LeBron yesterday, part of his not having a great game was missing free throws, all of that and Durant just turned it over and then LeBron gets the dunk. So I'm actually not, I think there are a lot of folks who all year long, you know, hand on a Bible. They weren't hot taking, they truly believed it. LeBron, the Lakers are better off without LeBron. LeBron's salary is a big problem for the Lakers. What team that actually wants to win a championship would want to get in the LeBron business? Those were all ardent, real takes that the playoffs have rolled around and they all look, in varying levels, ridiculous. Oddly, I don't know if any of them look as ridiculous as my pal Danny Parkins, just being, just, it was beyond comprehension that the Houston Rockets would show up to the playoffs and be the Houston Rockets. That a team that was awful in the clutch all year would be awful in the clutch. That a team that prior to the 10 game burst at the end of the season, we all said was the team, everyone that wanted to play. A team that didn't have a point guard showed playoffs without a point guard. And I, and it was, it was tarred as oh Nick is just, he'll never count LeBron out. And there was a, that was part of it. I'm not going to lie, that obviously was part of it. I think it's been proven right. But the other piece of it was, I will never count in a wildly flawed team that doesn't like each other. Like I think the level of confidence folks had about the Rockets in this series, I wouldn't have had if they were playing Portland or Phoenix. Because I think a flawed team can always get beat. And game one had the excuse, well they only have four of the five best players with Durant out. Game two, that's not there. It's not, well Durant wasn't himself. He scored 20 in the first half. There was no reason to be shocked that the Rockets would look dysfunctional when for giant portions of the season, they were dysfunctional.

Speaker 8:
[98:15] My dismissal of the Lakers before this series was solely dependent on Luka and Reeves being out.

Speaker 7:
[98:27] Oh, are they back?

Speaker 4:
[98:28] Because the Lakers are up to nothing. Have they played?

Speaker 8:
[98:30] And thinking that Durant was going to be there. What team, if you took their first and third best player off the court, would you pick to win a playoff series?

Speaker 2:
[98:41] Time, time, time, time, time. We're not saying win. You didn't say.

Speaker 4:
[98:45] You said they couldn't win.

Speaker 8:
[98:49] I thought they would get swept. And I have a question. Does a playoff series start until you lose at home?

Speaker 2:
[98:53] Heck yeah, dude. Are you still on the Rockets?

Speaker 8:
[98:55] Of course I'm still on the Rockets. Of course I'm still on the Rockets. This is over.

Speaker 7:
[99:00] We're back.

Speaker 6:
[99:00] It's not over.

Speaker 7:
[99:07] It happened already.

Speaker 4:
[99:08] The Lakers shooting regression happened yesterday.

Speaker 7:
[99:10] No, it didn't.

Speaker 4:
[99:11] What do you mean? They shot 62% in the first game.

Speaker 7:
[99:13] Marcus Smart was 5 for 8 from 3.

Speaker 4:
[99:16] KW, I understand. What did the Lakers shoot yesterday?

Speaker 2:
[99:19] 58.

Speaker 6:
[99:20] We had the stats.

Speaker 2:
[99:22] You think that was a regression in there still, whatever it was, as a team, the third hottest shooting LeBron's playoff history.

Speaker 4:
[99:31] KW, it was third hottest with game one. Game one, they were 62%.

Speaker 2:
[99:36] So you still think, I don't think it's regressed enough. It regressed a little bit, but it's still three out of 15.

Speaker 4:
[99:42] Which is why I'm not picking a Lakers sweep, but you need it to regress to Rockets winning four of five, or four in a row.

Speaker 8:
[99:50] Good luck.

Speaker 4:
[99:51] That's what it is now. The Rockets got to win four out of five.

Speaker 8:
[99:55] I get the math. It's not looking great, but I told you, I go down with the ship.

Speaker 2:
[100:00] They will win, they are good in Houston. They will win both games in Houston.

Speaker 8:
[100:04] Correct, it's going back to LA 2-2, it's Friday and Sunday, quick turnaround.

Speaker 4:
[100:08] They are just going to pick the Rockets whenever they get into the series.

Speaker 7:
[100:11] I'm not even doing that with the Lakers.

Speaker 2:
[100:13] They could lose them. They will lose in LA.

Speaker 4:
[100:17] If we are here Monday and the Rockets have won two in a row, you are not going to be like, and this is the game they lose, game five. You are not. You guys are going to pick the Rockets every game. You picked the Rockets by blowout last night. You came on here and said the Lakers were 0% to win the series and they were going to get swept. It's just what happened.

Speaker 2:
[100:39] The problem is they despise each other. There were several skirmishes about to break out. Shungun getting yelled at, Kevin Durant yelling at Reed Shepard, Guy Shungun yelling at Ahmed.

Speaker 4:
[100:56] Sure it will be fixed.

Speaker 2:
[100:57] No, yeah. That part worries me. I don't really trust teams that dislike you.

Speaker 8:
[101:03] We're not going to do a show on Saturday, but if the Lakers win game three, I think I'd pick them.

Speaker 2:
[101:08] For the record, you are on the podcast network on Saturday. Oh, great. John, make sure you got this too. Kevin Wildes podcast network. Danny, welcome Danny Parkins.

Speaker 8:
[101:16] Yeah, proud member of the team.

Speaker 2:
[101:17] Great to have you. Good news, everybody. You might think stats are boring. Oh my God, are we talking about stats? Well, we got a brand new segment from Danny Parkins that actually makes stats cool. Some football stats. We got the drafts coming around. Also got, oh, it's all football stats. I didn't realize that. That's cool.

Speaker 8:
[101:36] It's almost draft day.

Speaker 2:
[101:37] Oh my goodness gracious. There are your gloves again.

Speaker 8:
[101:42] You love the gloves.

Speaker 2:
[101:43] Time for the segment. Still putting the gloves on.

Speaker 8:
[101:45] I'm ready to go. People like seeing me put the gloves on. Don't worry about it. You don't need to vamp.

Speaker 4:
[101:50] It's not cool.

Speaker 8:
[101:52] Gloves are cool. You know what else is cool?

Speaker 4:
[101:55] What else is cool?

Speaker 8:
[101:57] Help. Give my homes a little help. You know what I'm saying? It matters. The chiefs owe it to Patrick Mahomes to get him some help with the ninth pick in the draft. Did you know, Nick, that you are one of two teams without a 1,000 yard receiver in the last three years, and you are the only team in football without a 1,000 yard receiver or running back in the last three?

Speaker 4:
[102:20] Well, they haven't had a 1,000 yard running back since Mahomes, before Mahomes got there.

Speaker 8:
[102:23] And so now you also don't have a 1,000 yard receiver. I understand that a great pass rush helps a quarterback. I understand that football is complimentary. But Patrick Mahomes signed the lifetime deal with the Chiefs. He has been a good soldier. He has played even under market value. Travis Kelsey is getting ready to retire. You have a unique, maybe once in a career, literal opportunity to pick in the top 10 while he is still in his prime. Get this man some help.

Speaker 4:
[102:51] So listen, I think they will in the draft draft a receiver. I would assume, you know what, I am not certain they are going to draft a receiver with one of the picks 9, 29, and 40. Because I could definitely see them going pass rusher, corner, offensive line with those three picks. I could see that happening. But I would, if they are going to spin one of those picks on a receiver, I would way prefer it to be 29 or 40. Because for me, Brew, outside of Carnell Tate, I don't know that there is a huge difference in prospect value between the second and the sixth receiver. And I mean, there is a huge difference in pass rusher between David Bailey and Ruben Bain, or Reese if you consider in pass rusher, and the other guys. So I would just rather, if we're going to spin a first round pick on receiver, which again, I don't know if they will, I'd rather it be the second first round pick than the first just because of this draft. If it was the draft where you guys took a doonsay, and there were three receivers ago in the top 11, all of whom would be the best receiver in a lot of classes, that's one thing. It feels like Carnell Tate's the best receiver in this class, and he would be the third best in a lot of classes. That's my, I mean, he was second best on his own team last year in Jeremiah Smith. That's my concern with using number nine on receiver.

Speaker 6:
[104:17] I do agree. I think I would use one of the ladder picks for a receiver and go defense, because you need, your defense got depleted this off season.

Speaker 4:
[104:25] Would you be fine with, if they, if they went Ruben Bayne nine and Denzel Boston or Casey Concepcion 29, does that check this box for you?

Speaker 8:
[104:37] No.

Speaker 4:
[104:37] Okay.

Speaker 8:
[104:38] It doesn't. Like, I just, again, I think-

Speaker 5:
[104:40] Who do you want them to take?

Speaker 8:
[104:41] Carnell Tate or Jordan Tyson?

Speaker 4:
[104:43] Well, if Carnell Tate's, if Carnell Tate's there, I think they'd take him. I just don't think Carnell Tate is falling there. I don't, you guys know how I feel about football players. I like them healthy. I don't like the old injury risk player with the ninth overall.

Speaker 8:
[104:58] His highlights are ridiculous, though. Like, a healthy Jordan Tyson has a very, very high ceiling. Do you guys know what else is cool?

Speaker 4:
[105:04] What?

Speaker 8:
[105:05] A low bar. Because it's easy to clear a low bar. And Fernando Mendoza, even if he's a disappointment, he's gonna be a massive upgrade for what the Raiders have had. We talked a lot about, at least in Chicago, like the situation that a quarterback is walking into and comparing them to the past. The Raiders have had the third most starting quarterbacks in the NFL over the last four seasons, and it's the second most interceptions over the last four seasons. And the list of quarterbacks is just a who's who of bad. Fernando Mendoza, people think, better than Drake Maye. Is he gonna be the next Joe Burrow? But even if he is disappointing, it is still a massive upgrade from the quarterback production that the Raiders have had.

Speaker 4:
[105:49] Yeah, I agree with you. It'll be an upgrade, but it will be, him being disappointing is not disappointing to Raider fans. It's cataclysmic, because they didn't, yes, they were like, maybe Jimmy G will be good. I believed in Gino, but there's a whole different level of faith associated with the number one overall pick, which is why, to Brouss' point, or to Coach's point about what Brouss said, I do, what, if you had to set an over-under, what week do you think he starts his first game? Four. Four, so that's what Coach thinks, too. Broussard, it seems like you and I think that he could be way later. Yeah.

Speaker 8:
[106:26] I just don't think that Kirk Cousins has that much left. I could see.

Speaker 5:
[106:28] He looked good at the end of last season.

Speaker 8:
[106:30] But it's always in short spurts. I just, I could see Mendoza beating him out in camp.

Speaker 2:
[106:36] Oh, really?

Speaker 8:
[106:37] Yeah, of course.

Speaker 2:
[106:38] I don't know if the Raiders want. That's interesting.

Speaker 4:
[106:39] Yeah. I mean, it depends on almost what the Raiders want. Like, do they want him to start week one?

Speaker 8:
[106:46] I think that you should play your quarterback when he is ready to play. And it's immaterial, like relative to Kirk Cousins. So if he's not ready to play and Kirk Cousins blows out his knee in week one, he shouldn't even be the backup. Like you should play Mendoza when he is ready to play. And so if he's better than Kirk Cousins, play him.

Speaker 2:
[107:05] That's interesting. I like that.

Speaker 8:
[107:08] That's cool too.

Speaker 2:
[107:10] That was cool and interesting.

Speaker 8:
[107:11] Well, you know what else is cool? A diversified portfolio.

Speaker 2:
[107:15] Oh, wow.

Speaker 4:
[107:16] You really are trying to remember when you used to be the quarterback quarterly.

Speaker 2:
[107:20] Yeah, that doesn't resonate.

Speaker 4:
[107:21] Danny's best friends, actual best friends, not me.

Speaker 8:
[107:24] No, you're my best friend.

Speaker 4:
[107:25] No, it's not true.

Speaker 8:
[107:26] No, you're my best friend.

Speaker 4:
[107:27] Who's going on your birthday trip to play golf? A bunch of guys, not me.

Speaker 8:
[107:30] You don't golf.

Speaker 4:
[107:31] But they're all stockbrokers.

Speaker 8:
[107:34] I know.

Speaker 4:
[107:35] He's always trying to. He's like, he sends them a message. He's like, hey, look guys.

Speaker 8:
[107:39] My portfolio is strong to quite strong. And the commanders have spent all their money this off season on the defensive side of the ball. And if they think last year was an aberration simply because Jade and Daniels got hurt, with Dan Quinn as your head coach and how you approached free agency, that should bring the defense up to level. You have a top ten pick, kind of similar logic to the Mahomes point. If you think Jade and Daniels is that guy, figuring out a way to get him a legit second wide receiver, I would love it if Jeremiah Love actually ended up going to Washington. But Terry McLaurin isn't going to be there forever. Figuring out a way to actually make Jade and Daniels' life easier when he carried more of a load as a rookie quarterback than any rookie we've ever seen. Everyone is mocking defense to the commanders because that was the worst part of the team last year. I'd go offense.

Speaker 4:
[108:32] It would have to be Love though, right?

Speaker 8:
[108:34] Why not Karnell Tate?

Speaker 4:
[108:36] I mean, I just think that you were watching Dibo highlights. Pardon me. Terry McLaurin. I think if Jeremiah Love is there for them, they would take him. Otherwise, I would be very surprised if they go offense. I do think Jeremiah Love to them would be sick. I think that was in Mock Draft 1.0, maybe. I'm not sure, 2.0? I'm not sure. I think Jeremiah Love would be great for them. And the little read option stuff with Jaden and him, I think would be devastating.

Speaker 5:
[109:06] No, it would be fantastic to get him there.

Speaker 6:
[109:09] But if he's not there, you know, maybe they might go defense.

Speaker 4:
[109:13] I could also see them going Sonny Styles. I'm sorry, not Sonny Styles. Caleb Downs. I think Styles would be going. The safety. Yeah, the safety, the kind of, you know, shorter Kyle Hamilton archetype. I could see them going that. But I think they are hoping Jeremiah loves there. I also wonder if they might trade up. If them in Arizona could be, Arizona trades back to get the top offensive lineman, but thinks three is too high, and they move up to get ahead of Tennessee to get Jeremiah.

Speaker 2:
[109:40] Wow, I like that. Danny, yet another cool segment from a cool guy.

Speaker 8:
[109:45] Thanks, Wildes.

Speaker 5:
[109:45] You're welcome.

Speaker 2:
[109:46] Coming up next.

Speaker 4:
[109:47] Oh, hurting with the gloves.

Speaker 2:
[109:49] The pressure on the Cowboys to fix their defense and Celtic great Isaiah Thomas.

Speaker 5:
[109:54] Next.

Speaker 8:
[109:55] Welcome back. It is draft week. We are just 24 hours away from the 2026 NFL draft. We want to bring you inside the OT War Room, where every day we've been talking the biggest storylines ahead of the draft. We got Coach Mangini, Willie Colon and myself. And guys, it's a fun draft this year because there are now six teams with two first round picks. The Giants, we tackled earlier in the week after they traded Dexter Lawrence. We did the Browns, we did the Dolphins, we did the Giants, we went inside the Chiefs War Room. Now it is time for the Dallas Cowboys, who have the 12th and 20th pick in the draft. And I don't know if anyone heard, but they got that extra first round pick because of the Micah Parsons trade. And the returns, at least with their defense over the course of the year, were not very impressive. It got better late, but overall, last in points, last in passing yards, I guess, second to last in rating. 30th in takeaways, 22nd in sex, and you see there at the bottom, only the 17th team this century to allow over 30 points per game and over 250 yards through the air. So the assumption is, coach, I'll start with you, that the Cowboys are going to use these premium draft picks towards defense. How much pressure is on Dallas to kind of rebuild their defense through this draft?

Speaker 11:
[111:07] Yeah, there's tremendous pressure to rebuild the defense. They obviously moved on from the defensive coordinator, that was the first step. When you look at last year, so they finished seven, nine and one. But in the last five games, they lost four out of those five games, and they gave up an average of 35 points in each of those five games. And offensively, they were pretty good. They were 17 points, they were second in total yards. So the discrepancy is huge. They weren't that far off from being a wild card team. And now if they can make significant jumps defensively, they could arguably be in the hunt for the division. And if they make marginal jumps, you know, they should be in the hunt for at least a playoff spot.

Speaker 14:
[111:49] Yeah, there's no doubt they need to pay attention to the defense and draft with a defensive focus. You know, I think about some of the guys, they drafted really hard. They were really projects like Tackle Charlton and Mazzie Smith. None of those guys pant out and they cost them. You know, when I played the Cowboys, they had a defensive identity. And the one unit that stuck out was the defensive line. The days of Demarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff and all those guys, that led that defense, especially when it came down to the month of December and January. That team leaned on that D line to kind of get them over the hump. The Cowboys don't have that right now. So I think because they drafted guys who turned out to have high salens and sure they had big athletic traits, none of those guys really panned out and it cost them, it cost this defense a lot. So we'll see what happens, man. But they have to address the defense.

Speaker 8:
[112:33] Before I get to some specifics, this team seems like maybe the best example of teams is to say best player available, but it's best player available at a position of need, right? The Cowboys are not drafting wide receiver in this draft. It'd be pretty surprising even if they went offensive line, which they've used a lot of resources on in the past, right? I will be floored if they don't go defense.

Speaker 11:
[112:52] Yeah, it's probably going to be best defensive player available. Although with Jerry, who knows?

Speaker 8:
[112:58] Who knows? It is the wild card.

Speaker 11:
[113:00] He loves offensive linemen, so if there's an offensive lineman he's just infatuated with, who knows?

Speaker 8:
[113:05] All right, so let's go inside the mind of Jerry Jones, which is an interesting place for me to attempt to kind of put my brain in here, too. But this first draft outcome, if you will, I did, they're just going to stand pat. They will draft the best player available defensively at 12 and at 20. And at 12, I would think if the premium edge rushers are gone and there's no interior defensive tackle worth taking that high, you go Caleb Downs out of Ohio State. This is a guy who you don't have to be a football savante if you watched Ohio State to be like, oh yeah, that's an NFL player. He could track the ball back. He plays at the line of scrimmage. He's disruptive. He's a great tackler, multi-year starter, national champion. Did not allow a touchdown over two years. Feels to me like this would be an ideal outcome for the Cowboys if he was there. At 12 and then at 20, I went back and forth with a couple of guys, but I landed on TJ Parker, the edge out of Clemson. I don't know to your point, Willie, if you can draft projects if you're Dallas. You need guys who you know can play. Maybe TJ Parker does not have as high of a ceiling as some of the more traits you get, but he's 6'3, 245, three-year contributor at Clemson, over 21 sacks, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries. I know that TJ Parker can play in the NFL, even if he's not a pure Micah Parsons like replacement. If it went Downs Parker, how would you like that for Dallas?

Speaker 14:
[114:29] I like Downs a lot. I think he's a chess piece. I think he's one of the guys. You turn on the tape against Miami. He forced two forced fumbles and he was just all over the place. Great tackler. I love his game. But I will also go, instead of TJ Parker, I wouldn't mind getting Chris Johnson out of San Diego State. Six feet, 190 pounds, man. You talk about Randall Four-Four, tough. It allows you to move Daron Brand to be the number two corner. He could be the number one because Brand doesn't have a good injury record. He's always hurt. I think you get a legit need at a secondary position and you get two young guys that could balance out the roster.

Speaker 11:
[115:04] Caleb would be a solid addition not just because of his overall ability but because of his versatility. Like you talked about, he does play down, he can pressure, he can bring him back in the secondary. He can move in a lot of spots and he's an excellent communicator and good defenses need that. They need guys that can make sure everybody else is lined up. There's an element of force multiplier with him because he plays really well and he helps other people play better. You know, the second pick, it's a little bit of a project in the sense that some of his sacks came in bunches. He had four against Pittsburgh, he had three against South Carolina, he really had a better sophomore year than he had a senior year or junior year. And you could say, well, maybe they were accounting for him more. He is a violent player, which is positive, and he does a good job of forcing fumbles, of creating turnovers. So you like all those aspects of him. Is he a finished product? Probably not as finished as maybe you'd like, but there's a ton of good things that he does and would bring to the table.

Speaker 14:
[116:08] Can I add one thing? I know some people are looking at that and be like, you know the Dallas Cowboys need linebackers. They need neither of us pick the linebacker. But if you're Jerry Jones and company, you can go in the free agency after the draft and get a Matt Milano and Denzel Perriman and sign those guys. So I think what you have and what we have right seems accurate.

Speaker 8:
[116:24] All right. And I think Caleb Downs is the type of guy that whatever team picks him, it's going to be universally praised. Everyone seems to like that guy. So now this is the more Jerry Jones splash move. If you look at a trade value chart and his old coach, Jimmy Johnson, was kind of the first one to create one, you go 12 and 20 and Dallas can trade up and it lines up pretty well with the value of the fourth overall pick with the Tennessee Titans. So what if it goes Jets take Bailey or Reese at two and Arizona, let's just say for the sake of argument, they go Jeremiah Love, which has been widely reported. They don't take an edge rusher and you are sitting there with whoever the Jets don't take, either Arvel Reese, the Micah Parsons clone in terms of the measurables or David Bailey. You keep him in the state of Texas, led college football in sacks and tackles for a loss. Coach, would you be an advocate of the Cowboys trading 12 and 20 to go get the second edge rusher in the draft?

Speaker 11:
[117:18] Well, if they feel strongly enough about one of those guys as the Texans did when they made the Will Anderson trade, and that's worked out as good as you could hope. They gave up a lot. Remember, they gave up a second, and then the next year, they gave up their first and third. So you'd have to see how the trade chart works out.

Speaker 8:
[117:36] I just did the simplest version with 12 and 20, but yes, you could do future value too.

Speaker 11:
[117:40] You just need that conviction. And with Arbel, there is the question. He played 50% of snaps on the line. He played 50% of snaps off the line. Is he a pass rusher? Is he a true linebacker? Where are you going to plan? You need to have a role. And with Bailey, the ability to rush the passer is something that Dallas missed significantly last year. So that could fill that gap. Do you feel the way Houston felt about...

Speaker 8:
[118:06] About Will Anderson?

Speaker 11:
[118:07] Will Anderson.

Speaker 14:
[118:08] Yeah, well, Coach, you have to believe, baby.

Speaker 6:
[118:09] You got to believe.

Speaker 14:
[118:11] You puttin the house on it. You got to understand it. You know, listen, I think the Jets want to get Arbel Reese. Arbel Reese, excuse me. And I think they also... David Bailey is probably the most polished pass rusher out of the two. So he gives you, like, a guy who you can plug and play. He gives you an immediate impact. But man, you got to be right. Like, especially in the condition the Cowboys are in defense, you got to be...

Speaker 8:
[118:30] It feels to me like the... It's obvious, but the safer play is just stay at 12 and 20 and throw more darts at the board, if you're Dallas.

Speaker 11:
[118:38] Or trade back and try to keep adding more and more darts.

Speaker 8:
[118:41] Take someone at 12 and then trade back at 20 has been a pretty popular projection there. But that means that Jerry Jones is going to trade out. He's going to go all in and push his chips in.

Speaker 11:
[118:50] Or draft an offensive line.

Speaker 8:
[118:52] Another Tyler. Tune in tomorrow. My one and only mock draft. What's the point of doing a lot? I'm going to be judged on this one. So I'm all in with tomorrow's mock draft in the war room. Welcome back to First Things First. We have 12 year NBA vet Isaiah Thomas with us now. We are starting in LA where the Lakers, shockingly, are up two games to none. And Kevin Durant, he was in the game, but it wasn't just one or two turnovers. It was nine turnovers, the same number of days that Ferris Bueller missed. And then on the other side, 41 year old LeBron James, well, 28 points, reverse dunks just being LeBron James. Here's LeBron kind of marveling at his own athleticism. Take a listen.

Speaker 13:
[119:36] I don't even know what that was about. I got to sit down somewhere, I got to sit down somewhere.

Speaker 8:
[119:44] All right, Isaiah, I'm a couple of years older than you, but I'm nearing 40. Do you marvel at past 40, 41 year old LeBron James? And thank you for joining us.

Speaker 1:
[119:56] Do you marvel the fact that 41 year old LeBron is still the best player?

Speaker 2:
[120:02] Oh, for sure, it's crazy to even think that, especially with the season he had, obviously he had a pretty good season, but he was the third option. And then for the playoffs to start, his guys to get hurt, and him to be able to control the series, the first two games and be the best player, it's like everything that we've seen with LeBron, it's like, it's just unbelievable.

Speaker 1:
[120:21] Yeah, and you know, what he did during the season seemed to make sense. Like, I'm gonna be a Swiss army knife, I'm gonna do what the team needs, there's some redundancy with him and Luka. This feels like as much about what the team needs right now without Luka and Austin Reeves, but also just a reminder of like, if I do want to play next year, I can still do this part of it too. Like, this hasn't gone away just because I have chosen to make it go away for Luka.

Speaker 2:
[120:46] Oh, for sure. Like, LeBron is capable of doing anything he puts his mind to. He takes care of his body the best that I've seen any professional athlete do. And it's playoff time. So it's playoff LeBron, the game is slowing down, he's able to control each possession, and he's doing it at the highest level. And he's probably the smartest player still that plays the game of basketball right now. So he's dominating the Rockets with his mind first, and then his physical skills are coming in second.

Speaker 1:
[121:16] So that is now the praise of LeBron James that I feel like we are contractually obligated to do and he 100% deserves it. But come on, Houston, like you have probably five of the six next best players in the series. Shungoon is supposed to be a top 15 guy. KD is a top 20 all time player. Reed Shepard is playing 11 minutes. I don't understand how KD scores three points in the second half and he has nearly as many turnovers as Shot attempts. I feel like this is mortifying for the Rockets.

Speaker 2:
[121:51] Yeah, it's bad, but the biggest thing I would say is they've been without a point guard all season long and this is when it hurts the most. You're allowing KD to make plays when KD is a bucket getter. KD makes plays for himself. Now he's getting double teamed and being played on a physical end, on the defensive end. That's what the Lakers are good at. Honing in on him, allowing others to beat them and the other players aren't stepping up. And the one thing KD got to do, he got to stop turning the ball over the best he can because nine turnovers is too much for a player of his caliber.

Speaker 1:
[122:29] Well, you're four years younger than LeBron and they need a point guard. Have the Rockets called you?

Speaker 2:
[122:33] Look, they haven't and I'm right here. I've been right here all season long. And if you need 15 to 20 points on game three, just let me know. I'm available.

Speaker 1:
[122:43] So, like, so, Amen Thompson at one point thought he was going to take it over. And I get it. Van Vliet signs the big deal. He gets her. But man, that was many, many months ago. Like, Eme Odoka is considered one of the best coaches in the game. I know that point guards matter, but some of this is positionless basketball. In this day and age, Shingun is supposed to be a great passer. Durant commands the double team. These guys are NBA players. Should it not, should it look this difficult, even though, yes, they do not have a traditional great point guard on the team?

Speaker 2:
[123:18] Yes, it's going to look this difficult because the point guard allows things to be easier for other guys. Like KD is the one ahead of the offense. All five guys are looking at him. They're throwing a double team every time he dribbles to the hoop and he's turning the ball over. So the Lakers are even, you know, more energized to stop him. The point guard is one of the most important positions. Not only a guy that can score, a guy that can make things easier for everybody else. And that's the problem that Houston is having. Guys aren't, they have nobody to make things easier. And KD has to be the playmaker. On the other end, LeBron is the playmaker. That's what he's always done. So he's just playing his game. Now KD is having to get others involved, make others better. And he's never really had to do that. So it's tough being in the playoffs with no point guard and you having to make plays for each and everybody else when he hasn't been great at that at all times.

Speaker 1:
[124:16] I love the idea that you could just walk in there and put up 15 to 20 in game three. They definitely should call. Let's go to Boston, one of your former homes and the Celtics, you know, they came up short in game two to the Sixers team that still does not have Joel Embiid. It was 19 from Tatum, 36 from Jalen Brown, but Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey, you know, we're going off. And so now this series is tied 1-1. The Sixers have stolen home court advantage. Here's Jason Tatum after the loss.

Speaker 3:
[124:46] Wish I would have played better. Wish we would have played better. But, you know, even before getting injured, I think just being through it so many times is, you know, the playoffs is a roller coaster. And I think what I've learned throughout my nine years in the playoffs is, you know, just stay even kill throughout.

Speaker 1:
[125:11] Isaiah, you spent a couple of years in Boston. I want to run a theory past you about your former team. Maybe when you are having a bad shooting night, you should shoot a little less. Like, I'm watching this game and I know like live by the three, die by the three. I know it's a make or miss league. I know Joe Missoula is going to win Coach of the Year and he has forgotten more about basketball than I'll ever know. But I'm going to show you a couple of stats. They were 13 of 50 from three. That is the fewest ever makes for a team that shot 50 or more threes. It's happened 25 times in playoff history where you shoot that many. You shoot that many threes, you're supposed to make them. But there is a pattern now of when the Celtics lose playoff games, it comes in a ton of missed threes. These are their five last losses in the playoffs. Their low water mark for missed threes is 28. And I feel like when I'm watching, okay, you're having a cold night. It happens. Go to the rim, get fouled, shoot free throws. Do you worry about the Celtics and their ability to just kind of go cold for stretches right now?

Speaker 2:
[126:22] I do worry about them at times because they do live and die by the three. The three has won them a championship before. The three have given them a lot of success. But as a basketball player and a coaching staff, there's times where, okay, the three ball is not helping us. Let's just get an easier basket. Let's step in and maybe hit a mid-range or get to the cup and get fouled and get easy free throws. So I think they understand that, but that's something that is in their culture of living and dying by the three. And I think they're going to ride it out. They feel like they have a better chance of making more threes than missing more threes and losing these games. So I don't think they're in panic mode. I think they're going to go back to the drawing board knowing that they got to make shots to win games. I think they're going to do a better job of that coming in games three and four.

Speaker 1:
[127:16] How much of, you know, we do a lot of analysis and now there's so much, you know, advanced analytics and stats and nerds like me who love basketball and watching it, how much of it really is like, man, it's a make or miss league. If they made more shots, they would have won the game.

Speaker 2:
[127:32] Especially in the playoffs, it is. In the regular season, it's a little different. In the playoffs, it's like if you can't make shots, you could be the number one defensive team in the NBA. You're not going to win games. So, like, it does come down to teams and players making shots to win games and you got to find different ways to win if you're not making those shots. I believe you shouldn't live and die by the three, but they got, they won a championship by it. So, they feel like that is the road to success.

Speaker 1:
[128:03] No, I think the toothpaste is out of the tube on it and that's clearly where the league is going. It's just, forget the, I don't find it to be the most entertaining brand of basketball, but you've got guys on the Celtics that, like, Jason Tatum can be a slasher and can kill you in the mid-range. Jalen Brown, too, it, you're right, it has won them a title, but sometimes I'm like, you're running five out because the math says three is worth more than two, but you actually have the talent where you should, you should never be 13 of 50 from three in a basketball game.

Speaker 2:
[128:35] Not at all, and I agree with you on that. Like, I know it's helped them out throughout the past, but like, if I'm missing, if I'm 0 for 10 from three, I'm going to get me a two dribble pull up, make things easier for me or get a layup in the paint. So I think they got to figure that out as a team, knowing when to live by the three and when to just get something else as they've been struggling lately from the three ball. So, but as you said, the analytics, the computer stuff, the numbers, like it says shooting more threes is going to allow you more success. So I think you got to find a fine line between the two.

Speaker 1:
[129:13] I watched that game last night and I'm like, yeah, this is a rerun. It was the series last year for them against the Knicks, was it not? Like that's how they lost to the Knicks in six last year.

Speaker 2:
[129:23] For sure and it's something they got to adjust to and I feel like they will. Knowing them, just knowing that coaching staff that prepares those guys at a high level, they know they got to make some adjustments going into game three.

Speaker 1:
[129:36] Well, coming up next, we were talking about a team in Houston that doesn't have a point guard. The Detroit Pistons certainly do in Cade Cunningham. The question is, do they have enough else to get in a virtual must-win spot tonight against Orlando? That's coming up with Isaiah Thomas on the OT. Tomorrow, how about that, I got my own graphic, my one and only mock draft 4.0, 7.0, 68.0, whatever it is. No, one and only, and I got a surprise for Nick Wright in it tomorrow that's going to make him mad. I'm very much looking forward to it. But tonight, as we welcome you back to the OT with Isaiah Thomas, one seeded Pistons, they got to tie this series up against the Magic. It was a stunning loss in game one. Cade Cunningham was awesome with 39 points, but that wasn't enough. Pistons, eight and a half point favorites at home before they go on the road, Isaiah to Orlando. It's not an elimination game, but is this a must win for the Pistons tonight?

Speaker 2:
[130:32] It is a must win. Like they're the number one seed, one of the best teams in the league for most of the season. They have to dominate the Orlando Magic. You can't give the Orlando Magic a young up and coming team. Confidence, as they snuck game one win out, but Cade Cunningham, obviously he's going to do his job, but his role players got to step up. If they don't, it's going to be a tough series for these guys.

Speaker 1:
[130:57] One man teams, man, they have a lower ceiling. Like you've seen it with Jalen Brunson, you've seen it with Cade Cunningham. Like they're amazing players, but you got to be a point guard. You got to get other guys involved.

Speaker 2:
[131:08] Yeah, it's tough. You got to be able to use your teammates in the playoffs for sure.

Speaker 1:
[131:13] Well, Isaiah, this was a lot of fun. Enjoy the games. We're back tomorrow with more playoff basketball and draft talk on First Things First.