December 15, 2023 • 16 mins
Sarah talks with NBA.com senior writer Michael C. Wright about his latest MVP Ladder column. Giannis makes franchise history and leaps to #3, Joel Embiid stays at the top of the list with a 41-point double-double, and Jokic maintains his spot at #2 with his 35th career triple-double.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome he into the NBA Polster production of iHeartRadio in
the NBA. I'm Sarahkustak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network,
and today is Friday, December fifteenth, and from our extraordinary
core group of NBA journalists, we're joined now by NBA
dot Com Senior writer Michael C. Wright, who has his
new MVP ladder out today and taking a look at it,
(00:25):
things stay the same. Up towards the top, Joel Embiid
at that number one spot, Nicola Jokic, number two, janis
Adeta Kumpo, who we will get into setting a franchise
record for the Milwaukee Bucks with sixty four points, jumps
up from the number five spots and number three say.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
A new franchise record, Yanasata Takompo with his fingerprints all
over a Bucks legend, the Man of Milwaukee and giving
us a night that we've never seen before in franchise history.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
And then it's Shay Gilgus Alexander rounding out with the
four spot. And in fifth is Luka Doncic coming off
a thirty nine point thirteen as this effort in a
loss to Minnesota just last night, and I want to
get into Janis Michael out of the gates. I know
there was a lot of attention around the game ball
in what transpired shortly after that finish, But more importantly
(01:21):
Yanni's sixty four points doing so the other night in
a one forty one to twenty six win against the
Indiana Pacers, a Pacers team that knocked the Milwaukee Bucks
out of the n season tournament. But the interesting part
about those numbers is that Yanis put up more than
sixty points without hitting a three point shot. That had
(01:42):
not been done since Shack did it back in two thousand.
He broke the record of Michael Red's of fifty seven points.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
What stood out to you?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I mean, obviously, we understand the way Yanna's plays, We
know where his strengths are at, how his game is
predicated on it's more than twenty feld goals and free throws.
But what stood out to you in the way in
which he put up those type of numbers the other night?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
I would say, Sarah, it just he kept coming, just
kept coming, coming, coming, and it was like nothing the
patress could do. And it was funny too, because you
if you were looking at social media, like the NBA
and the Bucks they kept saying new career high, new
career high, fifty four or fifty eight. It just kept
going up as the night went on.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Comes sixty one for Yus.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
And then like he came out for a while late
in the game, and then I guess the Patriss sort
of closed closed the gap a little bit and they
put him back in and that's how he got up
to sixty four. But another part of it that I
thought was really interesting is that he told Michael Ridd.
I don't know how many years ago it was, but
there's video floating around where he's telling Michael Ridd that
(02:56):
I'm going to break your record, and that's what he did. Then,
you know, I thought that it was sort of a good,
good bounce back game from that nd season tournament semifinals,
because you know, that was really disappointing for the Bucks,
(03:17):
you know, losing to the Pacers that way, and then
Tyrese Halliburton becomes like this household name overnight, just based
off that tournament, and so you know, Bucks came back
and hit them in the mouth, and then obviously you
had all the things happening after the game. That was
nothing though. I mean, but I felt like it did
overshadow what Giannis was able to do in that game.
(03:39):
And it's just been impressive because the Bucks have sort
of struggled this year. I mean, the record doesn't say that,
but you know, earlier in the season they struggled a
little bit. They were trying to find their way, trying
to figure out what they were going to do defensively. Okay,
how do we have these two just all time scores?
How do they coexist? What do we do without true
holiday in the lineup? So there was a lot of
(04:01):
stuff going on and Giannis has managed to sort of
just hold it all together. And you know, they've put
together a pretty impressive record.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
With that being said, and I do think that's the
perspective about it. And a lot of that too, has
been the eye test, just how they look, how they've
been playing, what we are used to seeing out of
their defense. But to your point, seventeen and seven, they
are a game and a half back in the Boston Celtics,
who by all accounts have been rolling sitting there in
the second place spot.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But not just about Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You look at the top of the Eastern Conference, Indiana's
team that has surprised a little bit with how they've
been playing. Of course, Orlando has been excellent, but the
Philadelphia seventy six Ers there in the fourth spot, they're
two games back of first place Boston, half game back
both of Milwaukee. Right there with Orlando, Joel Embiid sitting
(04:50):
in that number one spot. He's been there for a minute,
him and Yokich kind of flip flopping between number one two.
But he's coming off a forty one point double double
on Wednesday, nineteen points in that first quarter with Scribchlan
and bead Tyres downhill to scoop no and beat with
it and make.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It thirties in the first half tonight.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
With the way that Joel has been playing, and now
as we continue to move further into the season away,
you know, from a lot of the question marks that
began with what the roster, with the lineup, what things
would look like for Nick Nurse in the seventy six
ers team, is Joel poised to potentially if the seventy
six Ers continue to trend in the way that they are.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Is he poised to potentially repeat as an MVP?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I think so, because you know, one of the things
about Joel is like you always wonder if he's going
to play enough games, because you know, he sits out
of game sometimes because he's getting hurt, you know, tired,
things like that. But the thing about it is the
guy is doing all this damage on teams in the
first three quarters and he's not even playing in the
(05:53):
fourth quarter. I mean this last game, I think was
his fourth game this season where he sat out the
entire fourth quarter and he had forty one points nineteen
in the first quarter. So you know, I definitely think that,
you know, with the way they sort of structured things
and Philly, you know, Nick Nurse has been he's been
really good for them and you know, to be able
(06:14):
to sort of tap into what Tyree's MAXI can do
and just sort of like you have no James Harden.
There was this drama and they overcame all that and
they became this really cohesive unit. And I just think that,
you know, Joe Elle is sort of the leader of
it all, and you know, there's just this accountability factor
(06:35):
on his part that sort of rubs off on everybody else.
So no, I definitely think he could repeat. But I
think if he keeps on, you know, just killing these
teams in the first three quarters and sitting in the fourth.
He's going to be well rested so he could sort
of handle the latter part of the season when it
starts to get tough.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, and it's going to be interesting to watch because
I think, you know, as I mentioned, he's been up
towards the top, and so has Nicola Jokisch. I'm actually
sitting in Denver right now is the Nuggets handedly took
care of the Brooklyn Nets, who are on the second
back to back after playing and beaten the Phoenix Suns
the other night. Debut with the Big Three, but it
(07:12):
was also the return now last night for Denver of
Jamal Murray back on the floor. Has missed some time,
been in and out with that ankle injury, but he
looked exceptional watching him and Jokis together.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Bus past large boom.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I think you look at Jokic's numbers and what he's
had to do throughout the course of this early part
of the season, you know he's someone who would think, as.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know when you watch, wants to facilitate more.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
He can score when he needs to score, but take
it off on a higher dose of the responsibilities early
on in the season because of the fact that Jamal
Murray has been out. But there's a lot of young
players for Denver who have continued to flourish thrive. They're
trying to fill some of those gaps the loss of
Bruce Brown as they look to repeat. They're sitting in
the second place in the Western Conference currently seventeen and nine,
(08:00):
two and a half games back of Minnesota. Denver will
play Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
For Nicola Jokic, how do you view the way?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I think so much of our perspective has been him
elevating the level of play this season. Hard to believe
that he could do that after winning two m vps,
winning the championship last season, Ki scoop out end. But
as you watch him through the season, you watch the
Nuggets team as they come together, what do you look
for out of Jokic? For him to be back in
(08:32):
that conversation and to look at consideration of what he
has become and how he continues to seemingly get better.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Well, you know, we all look at Nicola jokicch is
just this offensive juggernaut that can just do it all
on the floor. But you do know that last night
Michael Malone gave him the defensive player of the game chain,
Like they got these big gaudy chains that they hand
out after the game in the locker room, and so
you know, he was really good defensively, and I think
(09:01):
that's what it's gonna take for your for Nicola Jokis
would have elevated his game, because you know, I was
just kind of looking at it last night. I mean,
the Nuggets have struggled this season whenever Nicola Jokis has
gotten a triple double, which is kind of weird. It's
a little concerning. I was checking it out last night.
They've got a five and five record this season when
(09:22):
Nkola Yokic has a triple double. And that's weird because
last year they were twenty seventy two when Nikola Jokic
had a triple double. So that tells me the teams
are starting to sort of figure out how to beat
Denver when Nikola Yokic is sort of on offensively, So
I think defensively, he's got to take that next step
just to sort of keep himself in that conversation, because,
(09:43):
to be honest, I considered moving him down to number
three on the MVP ladder and putting Gianni's up above
him because you know, the Nuggets has struggled a little
bit this season. You know, early early in December, they
lost three games in a row, and I was like, WHOA,
what's going on here? But they sort of kind of
us back there on the three game winning street. They
got a big game Saturday against Oklahoma City Thunder and
(10:05):
obviously you know Sarah Shade Gildas. Alexander has just I
think he had forty three last night. They lost the game,
but whoa, that was just a duel between two elite
point guards with him and de Aaron Fox.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, and we're we're going to get into Shae guilt
of Alexander his performance the other night, and also another
point guard that has been.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Stellar as a late Luka Doncic.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Right after this break, welcome back to MB Postaracoustak joined
by Michael C. Wright. Okay, we're riding up the top five. Michael,
and you had mentioned its Shaye Guild. Just Alexander forty
three points, nineteen assists in his fourth forty point game
(10:49):
of the season. He has sixteen games of which he
scored thirty or more points this year. Oklahoma City, they
just continued to roll in obviously, you know, had a
tough one the other night against the sacrament of Kings
and a five point loss. But when you look at
what Shaye has been doing Oklahoma City as a whole,
and you know how they I think a team like
(11:11):
Oklahoma City and Shae. We mentioned this, so much of
this has to do with the fact that I think
in the past, Oklahoma City the record has not necessarily
upheld some of his play, some of his performance, the
discussion of him being in this MVP conversation. But they
are doing it this season. They're sitting in third in
the Western Conference. For Shae, what more do you need
(11:32):
to continue seeing out of him this season? And I
think overall for the Thunder to remain here in these
top four spots of the Western Conference.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
For SGA Sarah, it's all about just maintaining what you're doing. Yeah,
it's school. I mean, what more can you do than
been sixteen thirty point games? You have forty three points
last night in a loss at Sacramento. That was a
tough one. But I think it's just all about maintaining
because you know, like think about the way Oklahoma City
(12:04):
has sort of built their team. You know, a few
years ago, they sort of identified Shay as just this
this piece to build around, and so they give him
the big contract and then they've commenced a building around him,
and so he's been the leader of everything that they've done,
sort of the catalyst, the playmaker, the facilitator, you know,
(12:26):
and defensively, like, we don't give him a lot of credit,
but he had three steals last night, and I don't
want to say he had a little stretch where he
had like five steals three straight games. So you know,
he's doing it on both ends of the floor, and
I think he's just got to maintain that production. But
that's going to be tough because Oklahoma City is a
very young team and they're not used to being in
this spot, and so, you know, I think that in
(12:48):
the past they could sort of sneak up on people,
but people know about the Oklahoma City Thunder now, like
they sort of have a target on their backs, and
everybody wants to see what they can do against Chet
Holker and Shake Guilds Alexander. You know, everybody's going to
want to play their best games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So I think they have a target. They just got
to keep on doing what they're doing. If they can
(13:10):
stay up in the top part of the bracket in
the West, I think this shade is going to be
somebody that's really going to be a part of the
MVP conversation. Last year, I didn't know if it was real,
you know. I just kept saying the bottom is going
to fall out at any point, and it never did.
And then I thought the same thing this year, and
there he is. He's still up in the top five,
(13:31):
and I think he's going to stay there for a while.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Speaking in the top five before I let you go,
Michael Luca.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
As Luca gets out outside.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Of scoring, what's it going to take for Luca to
continue to move up? He has been spectacular for this
Dallas team and doing so for a stretch here with
how Kyrie Irving with thirty nine points thirteen assists and
lost to Minnesota the other night.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That's coming off of a game against.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
The Lakers, a win at that with thirty three points
seventeen assists. The numbers have now only been a high,
high elite category. But you watch some of these plays,
these passes, things that we've become accustomed seeing. Is why
he is called Luca Magic. What more do you need
to see out of Dancic?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't know what more he can do either. I mean,
ever since he's became a new dad, the guy's just
been going crazy. I mean seriously, Like I'm sitting there
looking at it right now. I can't even count back
the last time he didn't have like thirty in a game.
I mean, I wanted November nineteenth. I'm looking at it
(14:35):
right now. I mean last night they lost against the
Minnesota Timberwolves, but he had thirty nine points, thirteen assists,
and you know you're going up against a really good
Timberwolves squad. It's right up there. You know too. They
leave the West right now, So I think he's got
to get Kyrie Irving back in there. You know, they
(14:57):
both need to play off each other. But I think
he's really some good chemistry with the young kid that
they've got at center, Derek Lively. He's that they've got
some good pick and roll action going on, and they're
starting to make some plays. They're starting to figure each
other out. And so I actually think that we really
haven't seen the best of the Dallas Mavericks just yet.
And I will say, like this next couple of games,
(15:19):
you know, they go out West on Saturday, they played
Portland Saturday, and then they got the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
So those are you know, those are going to be
a couple of good, sort of litmus test type games
for them, especially the one against Denver because it's at
Denver in the altitude. But I'm telling you, ever since
Luca Doncis became a dad, he's just been playing lights
(15:39):
out and it's sort of refreshing to see because coming
into the season there was all this drama, you know,
like how can him and Kyrie co exist? And Jason
Kidd told me earlier in the season that, hey, it's
not really about them, it's about all the pieces around
those guys co existing and sort of complimenting the two
elite guards that we have, and that's sort of what
(16:02):
they've done. I mean, there's nights where Tim Hardaway Junior is,
you know, putting up thirty and that's what the Mavericks need.
They need those sort of complimentary guys to step up
so that Luca and Kyrie can can do their things playmakers,
facilitator scores. So I don't think we've seen the best
of the maverage just yet.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We got a lot of season left to continue to watch,
and as always we will continue reading and watching all
of your stuff on NBA dot com and of course
keeping eyes on the MVP Ladder.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Michael, thank you so much, as always for your time.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
You got it.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
NBA Post with Sarahustack is a production of the NBA
and iHeartRadio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome he into the NBA Polster production of iHeartRadio in
the NBA. I'm Sarahkustak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network,
and today is Friday, December fifteenth, and from our extraordinary
core group of NBA journalists, we're joined now by NBA
dot Com Senior writer Michael C. Wright, who has his
new MVP ladder out today and taking a look at it,
(00:25):
things stay the same. Up towards the top, Joel Embiid
at that number one spot, Nicola Jokic, number two, janis
Adeta Kumpo, who we will get into setting a franchise
record for the Milwaukee Bucks with sixty four points, jumps
up from the number five spots and number three say.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
A new franchise record, Yanasata Takompo with his fingerprints all
over a Bucks legend, the Man of Milwaukee and giving
us a night that we've never seen before in franchise history.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
And then it's Shay Gilgus Alexander rounding out with the
four spot. And in fifth is Luka Doncic coming off
a thirty nine point thirteen as this effort in a
loss to Minnesota just last night, and I want to
get into Janis Michael out of the gates. I know
there was a lot of attention around the game ball
in what transpired shortly after that finish, But more importantly
(01:21):
Yanni's sixty four points doing so the other night in
a one forty one to twenty six win against the
Indiana Pacers, a Pacers team that knocked the Milwaukee Bucks
out of the n season tournament. But the interesting part
about those numbers is that Yanis put up more than
sixty points without hitting a three point shot. That had
(01:42):
not been done since Shack did it back in two thousand.
He broke the record of Michael Red's of fifty seven points.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
What stood out to you?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I mean, obviously, we understand the way Yanna's plays, We
know where his strengths are at, how his game is
predicated on it's more than twenty feld goals and free throws.
But what stood out to you in the way in
which he put up those type of numbers the other night?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
I would say, Sarah, it just he kept coming, just
kept coming, coming, coming, and it was like nothing the
patress could do. And it was funny too, because you
if you were looking at social media, like the NBA
and the Bucks they kept saying new career high, new
career high, fifty four or fifty eight. It just kept
going up as the night went on.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Comes sixty one for Yus.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
And then like he came out for a while late
in the game, and then I guess the Patriss sort
of closed closed the gap a little bit and they
put him back in and that's how he got up
to sixty four. But another part of it that I
thought was really interesting is that he told Michael Ridd.
I don't know how many years ago it was, but
there's video floating around where he's telling Michael Ridd that
(02:56):
I'm going to break your record, and that's what he did. Then,
you know, I thought that it was sort of a good,
good bounce back game from that nd season tournament semifinals,
because you know, that was really disappointing for the Bucks,
(03:17):
you know, losing to the Pacers that way, and then
Tyrese Halliburton becomes like this household name overnight, just based
off that tournament, and so you know, Bucks came back
and hit them in the mouth, and then obviously you
had all the things happening after the game. That was
nothing though. I mean, but I felt like it did
overshadow what Giannis was able to do in that game.
(03:39):
And it's just been impressive because the Bucks have sort
of struggled this year. I mean, the record doesn't say that,
but you know, earlier in the season they struggled a
little bit. They were trying to find their way, trying
to figure out what they were going to do defensively. Okay,
how do we have these two just all time scores?
How do they coexist? What do we do without true
holiday in the lineup? So there was a lot of
(04:01):
stuff going on and Giannis has managed to sort of
just hold it all together. And you know, they've put
together a pretty impressive record.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
With that being said, and I do think that's the
perspective about it. And a lot of that too, has
been the eye test, just how they look, how they've
been playing, what we are used to seeing out of
their defense. But to your point, seventeen and seven, they
are a game and a half back in the Boston Celtics,
who by all accounts have been rolling sitting there in
the second place spot.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But not just about Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You look at the top of the Eastern Conference, Indiana's
team that has surprised a little bit with how they've
been playing. Of course, Orlando has been excellent, but the
Philadelphia seventy six Ers there in the fourth spot, they're
two games back of first place Boston, half game back
both of Milwaukee. Right there with Orlando, Joel Embiid sitting
(04:50):
in that number one spot. He's been there for a minute,
him and Yokich kind of flip flopping between number one two.
But he's coming off a forty one point double double
on Wednesday, nineteen points in that first quarter with Scribchlan
and bead Tyres downhill to scoop no and beat with
it and make.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It thirties in the first half tonight.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
With the way that Joel has been playing, and now
as we continue to move further into the season away,
you know, from a lot of the question marks that
began with what the roster, with the lineup, what things
would look like for Nick Nurse in the seventy six
ers team, is Joel poised to potentially if the seventy
six Ers continue to trend in the way that they are.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Is he poised to potentially repeat as an MVP?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I think so, because you know, one of the things
about Joel is like you always wonder if he's going
to play enough games, because you know, he sits out
of game sometimes because he's getting hurt, you know, tired,
things like that. But the thing about it is the
guy is doing all this damage on teams in the
first three quarters and he's not even playing in the
(05:53):
fourth quarter. I mean this last game, I think was
his fourth game this season where he sat out the
entire fourth quarter and he had forty one points nineteen
in the first quarter. So you know, I definitely think that,
you know, with the way they sort of structured things
and Philly, you know, Nick Nurse has been he's been
really good for them and you know, to be able
(06:14):
to sort of tap into what Tyree's MAXI can do
and just sort of like you have no James Harden.
There was this drama and they overcame all that and
they became this really cohesive unit. And I just think that,
you know, Joe Elle is sort of the leader of
it all, and you know, there's just this accountability factor
(06:35):
on his part that sort of rubs off on everybody else.
So no, I definitely think he could repeat. But I
think if he keeps on, you know, just killing these
teams in the first three quarters and sitting in the fourth.
He's going to be well rested so he could sort
of handle the latter part of the season when it
starts to get tough.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yeah, and it's going to be interesting to watch because
I think, you know, as I mentioned, he's been up
towards the top, and so has Nicola Jokisch. I'm actually
sitting in Denver right now is the Nuggets handedly took
care of the Brooklyn Nets, who are on the second
back to back after playing and beaten the Phoenix Suns
the other night. Debut with the Big Three, but it
(07:12):
was also the return now last night for Denver of
Jamal Murray back on the floor. Has missed some time,
been in and out with that ankle injury, but he
looked exceptional watching him and Jokis together.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Bus past large boom.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I think you look at Jokic's numbers and what he's
had to do throughout the course of this early part
of the season, you know he's someone who would think, as.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know when you watch, wants to facilitate more.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
He can score when he needs to score, but take
it off on a higher dose of the responsibilities early
on in the season because of the fact that Jamal
Murray has been out. But there's a lot of young
players for Denver who have continued to flourish thrive. They're
trying to fill some of those gaps the loss of
Bruce Brown as they look to repeat. They're sitting in
the second place in the Western Conference currently seventeen and nine,
(08:00):
two and a half games back of Minnesota. Denver will
play Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
For Nicola Jokic, how do you view the way?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I think so much of our perspective has been him
elevating the level of play this season. Hard to believe
that he could do that after winning two m vps,
winning the championship last season, Ki scoop out end. But
as you watch him through the season, you watch the
Nuggets team as they come together, what do you look
for out of Jokic? For him to be back in
(08:32):
that conversation and to look at consideration of what he
has become and how he continues to seemingly get better.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Well, you know, we all look at Nicola jokicch is
just this offensive juggernaut that can just do it all
on the floor. But you do know that last night
Michael Malone gave him the defensive player of the game chain,
Like they got these big gaudy chains that they hand
out after the game in the locker room, and so
you know, he was really good defensively, and I think
(09:01):
that's what it's gonna take for your for Nicola Jokis
would have elevated his game, because you know, I was
just kind of looking at it last night. I mean,
the Nuggets have struggled this season whenever Nicola Jokis has
gotten a triple double, which is kind of weird. It's
a little concerning. I was checking it out last night.
They've got a five and five record this season when
(09:22):
Nkola Yokic has a triple double. And that's weird because
last year they were twenty seventy two when Nikola Jokic
had a triple double. So that tells me the teams
are starting to sort of figure out how to beat
Denver when Nikola Yokic is sort of on offensively, So
I think defensively, he's got to take that next step
just to sort of keep himself in that conversation, because,
(09:43):
to be honest, I considered moving him down to number
three on the MVP ladder and putting Gianni's up above
him because you know, the Nuggets has struggled a little
bit this season. You know, early early in December, they
lost three games in a row, and I was like, WHOA,
what's going on here? But they sort of kind of
us back there on the three game winning street. They
got a big game Saturday against Oklahoma City Thunder and
(10:05):
obviously you know Sarah Shade Gildas. Alexander has just I
think he had forty three last night. They lost the game,
but whoa, that was just a duel between two elite
point guards with him and de Aaron Fox.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, and we're we're going to get into Shae guilt
of Alexander his performance the other night, and also another
point guard that has been.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Stellar as a late Luka Doncic.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Right after this break, welcome back to MB Postaracoustak joined
by Michael C. Wright. Okay, we're riding up the top five. Michael,
and you had mentioned its Shaye Guild. Just Alexander forty
three points, nineteen assists in his fourth forty point game
(10:49):
of the season. He has sixteen games of which he
scored thirty or more points this year. Oklahoma City, they
just continued to roll in obviously, you know, had a
tough one the other night against the sacrament of Kings
and a five point loss. But when you look at
what Shaye has been doing Oklahoma City as a whole,
and you know how they I think a team like
(11:11):
Oklahoma City and Shae. We mentioned this, so much of
this has to do with the fact that I think
in the past, Oklahoma City the record has not necessarily
upheld some of his play, some of his performance, the
discussion of him being in this MVP conversation. But they
are doing it this season. They're sitting in third in
the Western Conference. For Shae, what more do you need
(11:32):
to continue seeing out of him this season? And I
think overall for the Thunder to remain here in these
top four spots of the Western Conference.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
For SGA Sarah, it's all about just maintaining what you're doing. Yeah,
it's school. I mean, what more can you do than
been sixteen thirty point games? You have forty three points
last night in a loss at Sacramento. That was a
tough one. But I think it's just all about maintaining
because you know, like think about the way Oklahoma City
(12:04):
has sort of built their team. You know, a few
years ago, they sort of identified Shay as just this
this piece to build around, and so they give him
the big contract and then they've commenced a building around him,
and so he's been the leader of everything that they've done,
sort of the catalyst, the playmaker, the facilitator, you know,
(12:26):
and defensively, like, we don't give him a lot of credit,
but he had three steals last night, and I don't
want to say he had a little stretch where he
had like five steals three straight games. So you know,
he's doing it on both ends of the floor, and
I think he's just got to maintain that production. But
that's going to be tough because Oklahoma City is a
very young team and they're not used to being in
this spot, and so, you know, I think that in
(12:48):
the past they could sort of sneak up on people,
but people know about the Oklahoma City Thunder now, like
they sort of have a target on their backs, and
everybody wants to see what they can do against Chet
Holker and Shake Guilds Alexander. You know, everybody's going to
want to play their best games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So I think they have a target. They just got
to keep on doing what they're doing. If they can
(13:10):
stay up in the top part of the bracket in
the West, I think this shade is going to be
somebody that's really going to be a part of the
MVP conversation. Last year, I didn't know if it was real,
you know. I just kept saying the bottom is going
to fall out at any point, and it never did.
And then I thought the same thing this year, and
there he is. He's still up in the top five,
(13:31):
and I think he's going to stay there for a while.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Speaking in the top five before I let you go,
Michael Luca.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
As Luca gets out outside.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Of scoring, what's it going to take for Luca to
continue to move up? He has been spectacular for this
Dallas team and doing so for a stretch here with
how Kyrie Irving with thirty nine points thirteen assists and
lost to Minnesota the other night.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That's coming off of a game against.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
The Lakers, a win at that with thirty three points
seventeen assists. The numbers have now only been a high,
high elite category. But you watch some of these plays,
these passes, things that we've become accustomed seeing. Is why
he is called Luca Magic. What more do you need
to see out of Dancic?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't know what more he can do either. I mean,
ever since he's became a new dad, the guy's just
been going crazy. I mean seriously, Like I'm sitting there
looking at it right now. I can't even count back
the last time he didn't have like thirty in a game.
I mean, I wanted November nineteenth. I'm looking at it
(14:35):
right now. I mean last night they lost against the
Minnesota Timberwolves, but he had thirty nine points, thirteen assists,
and you know you're going up against a really good
Timberwolves squad. It's right up there. You know too. They
leave the West right now, So I think he's got
to get Kyrie Irving back in there. You know, they
(14:57):
both need to play off each other. But I think
he's really some good chemistry with the young kid that
they've got at center, Derek Lively. He's that they've got
some good pick and roll action going on, and they're
starting to make some plays. They're starting to figure each
other out. And so I actually think that we really
haven't seen the best of the Dallas Mavericks just yet.
And I will say, like this next couple of games,
(15:19):
you know, they go out West on Saturday, they played
Portland Saturday, and then they got the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
So those are you know, those are going to be
a couple of good, sort of litmus test type games
for them, especially the one against Denver because it's at
Denver in the altitude. But I'm telling you, ever since
Luca Doncis became a dad, he's just been playing lights
(15:39):
out and it's sort of refreshing to see because coming
into the season there was all this drama, you know,
like how can him and Kyrie co exist? And Jason
Kidd told me earlier in the season that, hey, it's
not really about them, it's about all the pieces around
those guys co existing and sort of complimenting the two
elite guards that we have, and that's sort of what
(16:02):
they've done. I mean, there's nights where Tim Hardaway Junior is,
you know, putting up thirty and that's what the Mavericks need.
They need those sort of complimentary guys to step up
so that Luca and Kyrie can can do their things playmakers,
facilitator scores. So I don't think we've seen the best
of the maverage just yet.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We got a lot of season left to continue to watch,
and as always we will continue reading and watching all
of your stuff on NBA dot com and of course
keeping eyes on the MVP Ladder.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Michael, thank you so much, as always for your time.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
You got it.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
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