Nick Wright reacts to Luka Doncic's epic 45-point performance in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Dallas Mavericks. Nick discusses why he believes no one can beat Luka, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven game series as the NBA Playoffs approaches. Later, Nick shares his predictions for the Western Conference playoffs. What is the ceiling for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors? Are Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets still contenders after firing head coach Michael Malone? Then, Nick turns his attention to college basketball to react to the Florida Gators' thrilling win over the Houston Cougars in the National Championship Game. Is it a problem that the skill level between college and professional basketball is the furthest it's ever been? #Volume #Herd
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show. Enjoy, Demanda, I was pulling for
Houston because of our ties to Houston. I also like
Kelvin Sampson, tell us what happened?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, yeah, I mean Houston went from winning that crazy
one against Duke on Saturday. I mean we have I've
been pulling them for Houston, but that rev should be
investigated from that game on Saturday. Okay, but yeah, so
they lost the crazy one to Florida yesterday off of
the potential double dribb or whatever. What are your thoughts
on the tournament and how it ended?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I mean, I have a lot of thoughts here. Houston
did not get a shot up, not on the final possession,
on their final four possessions. They didn't hit the rim
(01:00):
seemingly for the last two minutes of that game. And
somebody had a tweet that I wish I could give
them credit because I thought it was really funny and
actually pretty kind of profound, almost talking about Houston's style
because they're just such a ferocious, relentless, tough defensive team,
(01:23):
where they said I imagine Houston's practices are just three
hours of suicides and punching each other in the face,
and that kind of is how they played. But there's
downside to that, which is they never you never felt
like they were against a great team going to be
(01:46):
able to definitively put them away. And they had opportunities
against Florida to put them away when that defense was
just giving Florida fits, and Florida's stuck around just like
Houston did against Duke, just long enough to where you
see the college kids tighten up and Houston's kids tightened up.
(02:10):
Walter Clayton junior, you know, had a great final flourish
in this game after you know, with five minutes left
in this game, it looked like this was gonna be
the first game in two years he had a sixty
one game streak of hitting a three. He didn't hit
one until late in the game. He obviously didn't score
(02:31):
his first basket until late late in the first half
or was it early second half, I don't even remember,
but Florida was able to stick around and then steal
it at the end. Not getting a shot off in
that spot is just the stuff of absolute nightmares for
a coach, but they didn't get a shot off like
it was if you just look at what Houston did
(02:54):
over the final two minutes, because one of the possessions
they did get a shot up, it was essentially an
air balled layup. They were getting no good looks. And
when you go to the waning moments of the game,
after LJ. Cryer made missed a layup and then tipped
(03:15):
in his own miss with two thirty left, here were
Houston's possessions. Made a free throw, then missed a free throw,
badly missed a three, offensive rebound miss jumper, offensive rebound, turnover, turnover, turnover, turnover.
(03:45):
To not get a shot on the rim in the
final two minutes of the ninety seconds of the game
is just so crushing, and you feel so sick for
Kelvin Sampson. And yeah, but might I mean because again
he's aultist seventy say it again that, oh yeah, well
(04:11):
about the coach you're talking about LJ. Cryer Now LJ.
Cryer at the back to back turnovers and then Emmanuel
Sharp had the back to back turnovers late, I mean
both there, But for Kelvin, who was a great coach,
got a show cause penalty and got run out of
college basketball for a while, came back, and what he's
(04:31):
done at Houston is remarkable since he's been there. It's
our buddy. Buddy's probably too strong. But the kid we
root for, Quinton Grimes, you know, was there and they
were a legitimate contender since he's been there. So Kelvin
(04:51):
Sampson took over a mediocre team. His first year, they're
thirteen and nineteen. His next two years they're in the
n and then since then, this is what they've done.
Twenty seven wins, and they won a tournament game, thirty
three wins, and get popped in the Sweet sixteen. Then
COVID year, then twenty eight wins, Final four, thirty two wins,
(05:18):
Elite eight, thirty three wins, Sweet sixteen, thirty two wins,
Sweet sixteen, thirty five wins, lose the championship game by two,
and you know, you you hope he has another great shot.
(05:39):
You don't know if he's gonna have another great shot.
He turned seventy next season. You'll keep coaching, but man,
oh man, it as much as they stole one from Duke,
they absolutely let one get away. And so I had
two recurring thoughts in that game. One was Duke had
(06:03):
to be watching this game, like you gotta be kidding me,
like that we we should be in this game. And
you know they they their collapse was different than Houston's. There.
I know you put it on that you hated the
ref for the car. I mean, it's a bad call.
(06:23):
Bad college refs are bad, and the review process in
college basketball is truly truly awful. And what nobody ever
acknowledges when they're like, oh, they have to get it right,
and oh, we've got the tenths of a second could matter.
And I bring up every time, you know what also matters,
(06:43):
fatigue and these this idea that being the better conditioned
team should you should lose all edge from that in
the final two minutes of these games because every out
of bounds call there's gonna be a one to four
minute break to review it. I hate it so much,
(07:04):
But set that aside. My other takeaway from really this
entire tournament, but certainly the final four. We had four
number one seeds. We had by kin Palm rankings, four
of the best college basketball teams of the last decade
all playing, and despite that, you've never seen a better
(07:27):
illustration for the glaring and massive gap between the talent
and skill level between guys who are good enough to
be starters and big time players for the best college
(07:47):
basketball teams in the country and guys who are good
enough to play in the NBA. College basketball in the
modern era, where guys don't stick around typically for that long,
the best players never do, and teams don't stick together.
The gap between that and the skill and talent and
(08:13):
nobility it takes to play in the NBA is the
widest it's ever been, and it's why a guy like
Walter Clayton junior who is going to be goes into
the tournament a fringe first round pick, can just dominate
and when most outstanding player like is I know there
(08:38):
are some people, particularly where I'm from in the Midwest,
that swear, and I always thought this was an odd
stance to hold love college basketball hate the NBA. Now,
I'm not saying you have to like the NBA more
than college basketball. Again, they're different sports to teach their own,
(08:59):
but that was all always felt to me a more
than a little racially charged opinion. The love college basketball
hate the NBA take because you simply never hear that
in college football, certainly have people that like college football
more than the NFL. But I've never once met a
single person who's, like, I love college football, can't stand
(09:23):
the NFL. But you do hear that sometimes college basketball,
at least where I grew up, used to all the time,
and I always thought that was a little quizzical. But
they're they're just so vastly different products. Throughout this tournament,
when guys made open shots, you were impressed. In the NBA,
(09:46):
if a guy misses an open shot, you are shocked.
And this game, being stuck in the forties late into
the second half, just a vivid reminder of how incredibly
difficult it is for the guys who actually can make
(10:06):
it to the league. But congrats of Florida Walter Clayton junior.
Going into this year Demonse on most mock drafts was
not even a second rounder going into this tournament. In
most mock drafts, was a fringe first second rounder. And
now he's probably going to be a late lottery pick.
(10:27):
He's a little older, he's not that athletic man. Oh
man that say it again.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Late lottery pick.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
No, it's awesome, it's great what he has working against
him is he doesn't have the great athleticism and he's
played for five years and so four years, so people
are always, you know, twenty two to twenty three, how
high is the ceiling? But I wonder if he could
have a Dulton Connects style draft day where when he
(10:58):
gets he gets drafted by a team or a good
team and people are like, oh man, he can maybe
help you immediately, even if he doesn't have like all
star potential.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So things are gonna come down to the wire. On
the west side, everyone from the three to eight seed
are separated by max of two games, and then everybody
from the four to eight are basically tied in losses. Yeah,
so do you how do you think it's gonna go?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So, first of all, credit to the Rockets for removing
themselves from this group. The Rockets are I I thought
the Rockets were about to get punched in the face
by the schedule because and I think we talked about
it last week. Their their final five games were Thunder Warriors,
(12:00):
and then and they played those two already and won them.
And then it goes Clippers Lakers' nuggets. But it doesn't
matter now because and this actually could work in the
Lakers favor. I don't know if what the Rockets will do,
but the Rockets just need to either win one or
(12:21):
have the Lakers lose one and they lock up the
two seed. So, because the Lakers max out at fifty
two wins, the Rockets already at fifty two wins. So
if the Lakers so, here's why I say this could
work out in the Lakers' favor. If the Lakers lose
tonight to the Thunder, which they will, the Rockets lock
(12:44):
the two seed. No matter what. Will that make the
Rockets in Game eighty one against the Lakers rest some people?
I don't know now, maybe they would feel like they
don't need to. But set that aside. Credit to the
Rockets for handling their business. Now to the three through
eight and we can throw it on the screen the Lakers.
(13:05):
The reason that Lakers two game lead is actually a
three game lead is this they have the tiebreaker over
literally every single team on the screen.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
There.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Nuggets are the four Clippers, of the five Warriors, of
the six Timbrelves of the seven Grizzlies, of the eight
Lakers forty eight and thirty Nuggets forty seven and thirty
two and then Clippers, Warriors, Timberlves Grizzlies all forty six
and thirty two. The Lakers have the tiebreaker with every
one of those teams. That is a symptom of the fact.
(13:41):
In one of the craziest stats of the season, the
Oklahoma City Thunder this year against the Western Conference are
thirty five and thirteen. The Los Angeles Lakers against the
Western Conference are thirty four and fourteen. So why are
the Thunder gonna win six sixty seven and the Lakers
(14:01):
are right now sitting at forty eight. Well, the Thunder
are twenty nine and one against the East and the
Lakers are They are fourteen and sixteen against the East.
So I mean that's the difference in the standings. But
that is giving the Lakers the tiebreaker over everyone. So
I think it's gonna go like this. The Lakers lose tonight,
(14:25):
they beat Dallas and then maybe they beat Houston. If
they don't beat Houston, they certainly beat Portland and they
are the three. And now the interesting piece of it, Denver,
which is falling apart, has not recovered from the Westbrook debacle.
(14:45):
Joker can just put up forty five, fifteen and fifteen
every night. It doesn't matter. And I don't know if
you heard what Michael Malone said the other day, when
Michael Malone said, yeah, Jamal Murray, we hope he's ready
for the playoffs. That's concerning. I think Denver is going
to lose to Memphis. Let's assume they beat Houston, because
(15:11):
that'll be Game eighty two for Houston, and Houston likely
is not gonna, you know, be playing their people. Whether
or not Denver falls to the play in will likely
be determined by how they do against Sacramento in Denver
when they play on what do they play tonight or Wednesday?
(15:36):
I should have had that up in front of me.
I apologize Denver plays tomorrow when they play Sacramento tomorrow
the Clippers again, so much of this is predicated by
what the Rockets do as far as resting guys, because
the Clippers play the Spurs tonight, so the Clippers will
(15:58):
win tonight, and then the Clippers play Houston next. But
the question is, is Houston, assuming the Lakers lose tonight,
gonna be playing their guys. If they are, then that
should be a great game. The Clippers after that are
at Sacramento at Golden State Golden State has an absolute
(16:23):
three consecutive layups at Phoenix. I saw Phoenix in person
at the garden Friday night that they are cooked, so
pix Golden State will beat Phoenix, then the Spurs, who
don't want to win, then the Blazers. So Golden State
is going to be forty nine and thirty two going
(16:44):
into the final game against the Clippers, which the Clippers
are going to need to win potentially to avoid the
play in potentially for seating. So Warriors Clippers game eighty
two two massive. Right, The Grizzlies are at Milwaukee, at Memphis,
(17:09):
and then home for Brooklyn in Utah. So Minnesota, Brooklyn,
and Utah are auto wins. Those teams are not trying.
If they beat Milwaukee tonight, then Minnesota has a real
chance of not only climbing out of the plan, but
(17:30):
climbing all the way to the four or five line.
And then Memphis it likely comes they're at Charlotte that
to win. Home for Minnesota at Denver, home for Dallas.
So let's let's do it like this. What are the
(17:53):
guaranteed victories on teams schedule for the Lakers just one
game eighty two against Portland, The Lakers will then need
to win one other game to lock up the three
Oka se Dallas, Houston. They're gonna lose Okay sees. They've
beat Dallas or Houston for Denver, zero guaranteed victories, Sacramento, Memphis, Houston,
(18:19):
so no guaranteed victories for the Clippers. One game the
Clippers put them at forty seven wins. They have the
Spurs game, then Houston, Sacramento, Golden State for Golden State
three guaranteed victories, Phoenix Spurs, Portland, and then that Clipper
(18:39):
game for Minnesota. So put Golden State at forty nine wins.
I'm gonna do this in the dock so I can
just see it. So Denver forty seven with three questions,
the Clippers forty seven with three questions. As far as
(19:01):
the games, the Warriors forty nine, one question game, Minnesota
at Milwaukee, at Memphis tough home for Brooklyn and Utah,
they're at forty eight with two questions, and then Memphis
(19:22):
at Charlotte three questions. Yeah, forty exactly forty seven. So
the games that are going to determine the Western Conference
playoff bracket is all of Denver's games against Sacramento, Memphis,
and Houston. The Clippers games against Houston, Sacramento, and Golden State.
(19:47):
For the Golden State that one game against the Clippers,
and for Minnesota, they're games at Milwaukee and at Memphis.
That's it. And so right now, I would think the
most likely seating is as follows. One Oklahoma City locked,
(20:09):
two Houston essentially locked, three Lakers close to essentially locked,
four Golden State, five, Minnesota six the Clippers, Lakers Clippers
(20:33):
around won't be fun. Seven Denver eight Memphis. That's how
I think it's gonna fall out.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Is that ideal for you?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Are?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Are there any matchups the well?
Speaker 1 (20:49):
The ideal for the Lakers well, and by the way,
that's set the seven eight obviously, then there's a play
in situation. The ideal for the Lakers. Everybody wants Memphis.
The idea for the Lakers is Memphis getting to the
three line. I don't think that's happening. I would would
I rather play Minnesota or would I rather play the Clippers.
(21:13):
I would rather play I Clippers been really tough since
Kawhi came back, since Kawai has been playing like this,
I'd probably rather play Minnesota now later in the playoffs.
I'd take my chances with sadly Kawhi not holding up,
but in round one with him playing like this, they're dangerous.
(21:38):
Thing is everybody's dangerous. But if you're the Lakers, you
can't worry about round one. If it were to play
out to where you are on the opposite side of
the bracket of OKC and round two looks like it's
Golden State OKC, you sign up for that if you,
(22:01):
you know, if you if you're the Lakers, and you're
only gonna have to be one of Golden State or
Oklahoma City and they have to they play each other
in a war in round two, while with respect, you're
probably playing the Rockets. That is the ideal situation, and
I think it's what they've set themselves up.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I think the Rockets are going to be dangerous in
the playoffs. I know you say when they're young and
all that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
I think they have a great team championships that's fair
they have, and they have a great coach. Dylan Brook's
gonna see Lebron in a playoff series and once again
be like, it's Dylan Brook's time, and I don't trust
(22:49):
Jalen Green. Now Amen Thompson is a monster as a
young player, and Shingoon's great. Shingon's great. But I again,
the West is brutal. None of these are easy. But
it's you know it easy.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I'm not saying like they can win, Okay, I said,
I know, I said defense wins championships. But I think
they can mess somebody's road up. I think knock a
team out early.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
But you but you're kind of treating them demnse like
they're not the two seed. They're like the two seed
playing to their seed means they're in the conference finals.
I don't see that happening. Like now, listen, maybe they
maybe somebody clips clips the Lakers and they beat them,
or maybe they can beat the Lakers. But I I
think Houston, Houston has earned enough for me to where
(23:39):
at this point I will almost assuredly be picking them
in their Round one series. I don't know, you know
what I say that, I don't know if i'd pick
them against Minnesota. I think Minnesota could be tough.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
But yeah, I could see, yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
You know, they could win, but I think i'd probably
pick Minnesota. Who's scoring big in the NBA this season.
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Speaker 2 (26:43):
Very emotional game Last Night It was Lucas first time
returning to Dallas since being traded. Originally, the fans are
super high to seem it seems like a lot of
fans are wearing the thank you for everything in Slovenian shirts.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yep, good cheering for him.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I basically after every bucket, you know, they still got
the love for Luca. And then he torched them score
forty five points. What did you think of this whole game,
this whole situation, right?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I was amazed by what Luca did. And one of
my go to beliefs in sports is a very simple phrase,
but it explains a lot, and that is legendary players
(27:32):
do legendary things. And Luca watching what I thought was
almost a too well produced pregame video, I thought that
was almost too well done because it really hit home
(27:59):
if it hadn't all ready, how outrageous the trade was,
and how blind sighted Luca was by it, and how
great he was. I was wondering how they would approach it,
how they would approach this video. Would they include the
(28:19):
step back three over Rudy Gobert in the conference finals
to give them a stranglehold on making their first NBA
finals since Dirk was there since their championship and eleven
and the answer was, Yeah, we're gonna do a real
tribute to Luca. As if this franchise didn't spend the
last six weeks calling him an out of shape alcoholic
(28:42):
that we couldn't trust With three hundred and fifty million dollars.
They did, and it really affected Luca. He's crying. He
so again. Up for those of us I know, I'm
sure there's some people listening or watching that cry all
the time, and there's some people listening or watching who
(29:04):
never cry. I think most of us are probably in
the middle part of that bell curve where we're not
never ever criers, but we are incredibly rare criers. Think
back to the last time something affected you so much
that you were brought to tears in public, and then
(29:29):
think would you have been at your best professionally ninety
seconds later? I wouldn't have been. He was. He lit
them on fire from start to finish while dealing with
the unbelievable and indescribable emotion that honestly, almost no athlete
(29:55):
in modern sports history has had to deal with quite that.
A guy that good, that young, in that sport, who
didn't want to be traded, Who thought I'm going to
be here forever, Who gets the rug pulled out from
(30:18):
under him in the middle of the night, and then
has to deal with learning second hand that, oh, evidently
a lot of these people that I worked for didn't
believe in me, didn't like me, didn't trust me, are
(30:38):
totally fine with trashing me anonymously or on the record.
Dealing with all of that, and then he scores forty five,
is the best player on the court, thirty one in
the first half, channels it all into his individual greatness
(31:04):
that is as legendary as it as you will ever see.
And I saw the stat and it's a great one
that Luca becomes the first player you'll like this demanse,
the first player in more than fifty years to score
(31:26):
forty five plus points for a team and then forty
five plus points against that team in the same season.
And I'll tell you who the guy was who did
it before. But think about what the needle you have
to thread for that to happen. You have to be
good enough to where you have multiple forty five point games.
(31:49):
You also have to be traded during the year. The
last guy that did that, the only guy to do
that was Wilt. But Wilt was a bit of a
no Mad's too strong, but he moved around. He also was,
(32:12):
similarly to Luca, I think, unfairly maligned or not fully
appreciated for how great he truly was. But Wilt didn't
get traded against his will. Wilt didn't get blindsided by it.
(32:36):
And for Luca to be able to do that, and
for the Lakers to embrace him the way they have
Lebron is, you know, cheering on the crowd when they're
chanting Luca. Luca the embrace with his teammates right after
(33:00):
the introductions, everybody kind of taking a step back and saying,
this is Luca's moment. If you're a vibes reader, the
Lakers vibes are absolutely off the charts right now. All right,
let's go to the other side of this game for
a moment.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, I saw on the other side of it Anthony
Davis was playing his ex team as well. That doesn't
really seem to be making noise.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well, so here's why I think, because it wasn't in
LA I think because nobody felt like I don't think
anybody felt like the Lakers betrayed Ad because it's just
a trade you have to make. I also think this
(33:53):
last night was a great example of why AD is
such a frustrating great player. And last night was also
a good example of the gap between all time great
and legend because Anthony Davis in that game, with the
(34:19):
Lakers not having a real sinner and him fully healthy,
you would have liked to see him be like, listen,
one way or another, I'm getting my thirty or at
least twenty five and putting my imprint on the game. Instead. Listen,
(34:41):
he was good defensively, and he had thirteen points. And
it's why AD is, again as great as he is,
a frustrating guy at times because he doesn't seem to
always have that extra gear that you would want and
(35:06):
the right He is not a guy that you can
just say, oh, the moment calls for it. Therefore, he's
going to be brilliant, at least on the offensive end. Now, defensively,
everybody still brings up the Lakers free throw edge over
(35:27):
the last few years and all of these things. That's
an Anthony Davis stat not because he's drawing so many fouls,
but because he is and has been, and it's criminal.
This guy's going to go his whole career without winning
a Defensive Player of the Year. But he has been
the best rim protector in the league for a half
(35:50):
decade plus now, and he can protect the rim without fouling,
which is what led to those free throw discrepancies, and
he was able to do a lot of that live
last night, But thirteen points in that moment is just
a just a bummer.
Welcome to the Best of the Week for What's Right
with Nick Right the best takes and moments from this
week on the show. Enjoy, Demanda, I was pulling for
Houston because of our ties to Houston. I also like
Kelvin Sampson, tell us what happened?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, yeah, I mean Houston went from winning that crazy
one against Duke on Saturday. I mean we have I've
been pulling them for Houston, but that rev should be
investigated from that game on Saturday. Okay, but yeah, so
they lost the crazy one to Florida yesterday off of
the potential double dribb or whatever. What are your thoughts
on the tournament and how it ended?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I mean, I have a lot of thoughts here. Houston
did not get a shot up, not on the final possession,
on their final four possessions. They didn't hit the rim
(01:00):
seemingly for the last two minutes of that game. And
somebody had a tweet that I wish I could give
them credit because I thought it was really funny and
actually pretty kind of profound, almost talking about Houston's style
because they're just such a ferocious, relentless, tough defensive team,
(01:23):
where they said I imagine Houston's practices are just three
hours of suicides and punching each other in the face,
and that kind of is how they played. But there's
downside to that, which is they never you never felt
like they were against a great team going to be
(01:46):
able to definitively put them away. And they had opportunities
against Florida to put them away when that defense was
just giving Florida fits, and Florida's stuck around just like
Houston did against Duke, just long enough to where you
see the college kids tighten up and Houston's kids tightened up.
(02:10):
Walter Clayton junior, you know, had a great final flourish
in this game after you know, with five minutes left
in this game, it looked like this was gonna be
the first game in two years he had a sixty
one game streak of hitting a three. He didn't hit
one until late in the game. He obviously didn't score
(02:31):
his first basket until late late in the first half
or was it early second half, I don't even remember,
but Florida was able to stick around and then steal
it at the end. Not getting a shot off in
that spot is just the stuff of absolute nightmares for
a coach, but they didn't get a shot off like
it was if you just look at what Houston did
(02:54):
over the final two minutes, because one of the possessions
they did get a shot up, it was essentially an
air balled layup. They were getting no good looks. And
when you go to the waning moments of the game,
after LJ. Cryer made missed a layup and then tipped
(03:15):
in his own miss with two thirty left, here were
Houston's possessions. Made a free throw, then missed a free throw,
badly missed a three, offensive rebound miss jumper, offensive rebound, turnover, turnover, turnover, turnover.
(03:45):
To not get a shot on the rim in the
final two minutes of the ninety seconds of the game
is just so crushing, and you feel so sick for
Kelvin Sampson. And yeah, but might I mean because again
he's aultist seventy say it again that, oh yeah, well
(04:11):
about the coach you're talking about LJ. Cryer Now LJ.
Cryer at the back to back turnovers and then Emmanuel
Sharp had the back to back turnovers late, I mean
both there, But for Kelvin, who was a great coach,
got a show cause penalty and got run out of
college basketball for a while, came back, and what he's
(04:31):
done at Houston is remarkable since he's been there. It's
our buddy. Buddy's probably too strong. But the kid we
root for, Quinton Grimes, you know, was there and they
were a legitimate contender since he's been there. So Kelvin
(04:51):
Sampson took over a mediocre team. His first year, they're
thirteen and nineteen. His next two years they're in the
n and then since then, this is what they've done.
Twenty seven wins, and they won a tournament game, thirty
three wins, and get popped in the Sweet sixteen. Then
COVID year, then twenty eight wins, Final four, thirty two wins,
(05:18):
Elite eight, thirty three wins, Sweet sixteen, thirty two wins,
Sweet sixteen, thirty five wins, lose the championship game by two,
and you know, you you hope he has another great shot.
(05:39):
You don't know if he's gonna have another great shot.
He turned seventy next season. You'll keep coaching, but man,
oh man, it as much as they stole one from Duke,
they absolutely let one get away. And so I had
two recurring thoughts in that game. One was Duke had
(06:03):
to be watching this game, like you gotta be kidding me,
like that we we should be in this game. And
you know they they their collapse was different than Houston's. There.
I know you put it on that you hated the
ref for the car. I mean, it's a bad call.
(06:23):
Bad college refs are bad, and the review process in
college basketball is truly truly awful. And what nobody ever
acknowledges when they're like, oh, they have to get it right,
and oh, we've got the tenths of a second could matter.
And I bring up every time, you know what also matters,
(06:43):
fatigue and these this idea that being the better conditioned
team should you should lose all edge from that in
the final two minutes of these games because every out
of bounds call there's gonna be a one to four
minute break to review it. I hate it so much,
(07:04):
But set that aside. My other takeaway from really this
entire tournament, but certainly the final four. We had four
number one seeds. We had by kin Palm rankings, four
of the best college basketball teams of the last decade
all playing, and despite that, you've never seen a better
(07:27):
illustration for the glaring and massive gap between the talent
and skill level between guys who are good enough to
be starters and big time players for the best college
(07:47):
basketball teams in the country and guys who are good
enough to play in the NBA. College basketball in the
modern era, where guys don't stick around typically for that long,
the best players never do, and teams don't stick together.
The gap between that and the skill and talent and
(08:13):
nobility it takes to play in the NBA is the
widest it's ever been, and it's why a guy like
Walter Clayton junior who is going to be goes into
the tournament a fringe first round pick, can just dominate
and when most outstanding player like is I know there
(08:38):
are some people, particularly where I'm from in the Midwest,
that swear, and I always thought this was an odd
stance to hold love college basketball hate the NBA. Now,
I'm not saying you have to like the NBA more
than college basketball. Again, they're different sports to teach their own,
(08:59):
but that was all always felt to me a more
than a little racially charged opinion. The love college basketball
hate the NBA take because you simply never hear that
in college football, certainly have people that like college football
more than the NFL. But I've never once met a
single person who's, like, I love college football, can't stand
(09:23):
the NFL. But you do hear that sometimes college basketball,
at least where I grew up, used to all the time,
and I always thought that was a little quizzical. But
they're they're just so vastly different products. Throughout this tournament,
when guys made open shots, you were impressed. In the NBA,
(09:46):
if a guy misses an open shot, you are shocked.
And this game, being stuck in the forties late into
the second half, just a vivid reminder of how incredibly
difficult it is for the guys who actually can make
(10:06):
it to the league. But congrats of Florida Walter Clayton junior.
Going into this year Demonse on most mock drafts was
not even a second rounder going into this tournament. In
most mock drafts, was a fringe first second rounder. And
now he's probably going to be a late lottery pick.
(10:27):
He's a little older, he's not that athletic man. Oh
man that say it again.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Late lottery pick.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
No, it's awesome, it's great what he has working against
him is he doesn't have the great athleticism and he's
played for five years and so four years, so people
are always, you know, twenty two to twenty three, how
high is the ceiling? But I wonder if he could
have a Dulton Connects style draft day where when he
(10:58):
gets he gets drafted by a team or a good
team and people are like, oh man, he can maybe
help you immediately, even if he doesn't have like all
star potential.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So things are gonna come down to the wire. On
the west side, everyone from the three to eight seed
are separated by max of two games, and then everybody
from the four to eight are basically tied in losses. Yeah,
so do you how do you think it's gonna go?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So, first of all, credit to the Rockets for removing
themselves from this group. The Rockets are I I thought
the Rockets were about to get punched in the face
by the schedule because and I think we talked about
it last week. Their their final five games were Thunder Warriors,
(12:00):
and then and they played those two already and won them.
And then it goes Clippers Lakers' nuggets. But it doesn't
matter now because and this actually could work in the
Lakers favor. I don't know if what the Rockets will do,
but the Rockets just need to either win one or
(12:21):
have the Lakers lose one and they lock up the
two seed. So, because the Lakers max out at fifty
two wins, the Rockets already at fifty two wins. So
if the Lakers so, here's why I say this could
work out in the Lakers' favor. If the Lakers lose
tonight to the Thunder, which they will, the Rockets lock
(12:44):
the two seed. No matter what. Will that make the
Rockets in Game eighty one against the Lakers rest some people?
I don't know now, maybe they would feel like they
don't need to. But set that aside. Credit to the
Rockets for handling their business. Now to the three through
eight and we can throw it on the screen the Lakers.
(13:05):
The reason that Lakers two game lead is actually a
three game lead is this they have the tiebreaker over
literally every single team on the screen.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
There.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Nuggets are the four Clippers, of the five Warriors, of
the six Timbrelves of the seven Grizzlies, of the eight
Lakers forty eight and thirty Nuggets forty seven and thirty
two and then Clippers, Warriors, Timberlves Grizzlies all forty six
and thirty two. The Lakers have the tiebreaker with every
one of those teams. That is a symptom of the fact.
(13:41):
In one of the craziest stats of the season, the
Oklahoma City Thunder this year against the Western Conference are
thirty five and thirteen. The Los Angeles Lakers against the
Western Conference are thirty four and fourteen. So why are
the Thunder gonna win six sixty seven and the Lakers
(14:01):
are right now sitting at forty eight. Well, the Thunder
are twenty nine and one against the East and the
Lakers are They are fourteen and sixteen against the East.
So I mean that's the difference in the standings. But
that is giving the Lakers the tiebreaker over everyone. So
I think it's gonna go like this. The Lakers lose tonight,
(14:25):
they beat Dallas and then maybe they beat Houston. If
they don't beat Houston, they certainly beat Portland and they
are the three. And now the interesting piece of it, Denver,
which is falling apart, has not recovered from the Westbrook debacle.
(14:45):
Joker can just put up forty five, fifteen and fifteen
every night. It doesn't matter. And I don't know if
you heard what Michael Malone said the other day, when
Michael Malone said, yeah, Jamal Murray, we hope he's ready
for the playoffs. That's concerning. I think Denver is going
to lose to Memphis. Let's assume they beat Houston, because
(15:11):
that'll be Game eighty two for Houston, and Houston likely
is not gonna, you know, be playing their people. Whether
or not Denver falls to the play in will likely
be determined by how they do against Sacramento in Denver
when they play on what do they play tonight or Wednesday?
(15:36):
I should have had that up in front of me.
I apologize Denver plays tomorrow when they play Sacramento tomorrow
the Clippers again, so much of this is predicated by
what the Rockets do as far as resting guys, because
the Clippers play the Spurs tonight, so the Clippers will
(15:58):
win tonight, and then the Clippers play Houston next. But
the question is, is Houston, assuming the Lakers lose tonight,
gonna be playing their guys. If they are, then that
should be a great game. The Clippers after that are
at Sacramento at Golden State Golden State has an absolute
(16:23):
three consecutive layups at Phoenix. I saw Phoenix in person
at the garden Friday night that they are cooked, so
pix Golden State will beat Phoenix, then the Spurs, who
don't want to win, then the Blazers. So Golden State
is going to be forty nine and thirty two going
(16:44):
into the final game against the Clippers, which the Clippers
are going to need to win potentially to avoid the
play in potentially for seating. So Warriors Clippers game eighty
two two massive. Right, The Grizzlies are at Milwaukee, at Memphis,
(17:09):
and then home for Brooklyn in Utah. So Minnesota, Brooklyn,
and Utah are auto wins. Those teams are not trying.
If they beat Milwaukee tonight, then Minnesota has a real
chance of not only climbing out of the plan, but
(17:30):
climbing all the way to the four or five line.
And then Memphis it likely comes they're at Charlotte that
to win. Home for Minnesota at Denver, home for Dallas.
So let's let's do it like this. What are the
(17:53):
guaranteed victories on teams schedule for the Lakers just one
game eighty two against Portland, The Lakers will then need
to win one other game to lock up the three
Oka se Dallas, Houston. They're gonna lose Okay sees. They've
beat Dallas or Houston for Denver, zero guaranteed victories, Sacramento, Memphis, Houston,
(18:19):
so no guaranteed victories for the Clippers. One game the
Clippers put them at forty seven wins. They have the
Spurs game, then Houston, Sacramento, Golden State for Golden State
three guaranteed victories, Phoenix Spurs, Portland, and then that Clipper
(18:39):
game for Minnesota. So put Golden State at forty nine wins.
I'm gonna do this in the dock so I can
just see it. So Denver forty seven with three questions,
the Clippers forty seven with three questions. As far as
(19:01):
the games, the Warriors forty nine, one question game, Minnesota
at Milwaukee, at Memphis tough home for Brooklyn and Utah,
they're at forty eight with two questions, and then Memphis
(19:22):
at Charlotte three questions. Yeah, forty exactly forty seven. So
the games that are going to determine the Western Conference
playoff bracket is all of Denver's games against Sacramento, Memphis,
and Houston. The Clippers games against Houston, Sacramento, and Golden State.
(19:47):
For the Golden State that one game against the Clippers,
and for Minnesota, they're games at Milwaukee and at Memphis.
That's it. And so right now, I would think the
most likely seating is as follows. One Oklahoma City locked,
(20:09):
two Houston essentially locked, three Lakers close to essentially locked,
four Golden State, five, Minnesota six the Clippers, Lakers Clippers
(20:33):
around won't be fun. Seven Denver eight Memphis. That's how
I think it's gonna fall out.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Is that ideal for you?
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Are?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Are there any matchups the well?
Speaker 1 (20:49):
The ideal for the Lakers well, and by the way,
that's set the seven eight obviously, then there's a play
in situation. The ideal for the Lakers. Everybody wants Memphis.
The idea for the Lakers is Memphis getting to the
three line. I don't think that's happening. I would would
I rather play Minnesota or would I rather play the Clippers.
(21:13):
I would rather play I Clippers been really tough since
Kawhi came back, since Kawai has been playing like this,
I'd probably rather play Minnesota now later in the playoffs.
I'd take my chances with sadly Kawhi not holding up,
but in round one with him playing like this, they're dangerous.
(21:38):
Thing is everybody's dangerous. But if you're the Lakers, you
can't worry about round one. If it were to play
out to where you are on the opposite side of
the bracket of OKC and round two looks like it's
Golden State OKC, you sign up for that if you,
(22:01):
you know, if you if you're the Lakers, and you're
only gonna have to be one of Golden State or
Oklahoma City and they have to they play each other
in a war in round two, while with respect, you're
probably playing the Rockets. That is the ideal situation, and
I think it's what they've set themselves up.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I think the Rockets are going to be dangerous in
the playoffs. I know you say when they're young and
all that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
I think they have a great team championships that's fair
they have, and they have a great coach. Dylan Brook's
gonna see Lebron in a playoff series and once again
be like, it's Dylan Brook's time, and I don't trust
(22:49):
Jalen Green. Now Amen Thompson is a monster as a
young player, and Shingoon's great. Shingon's great. But I again,
the West is brutal. None of these are easy. But
it's you know it easy.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I'm not saying like they can win, Okay, I said,
I know, I said defense wins championships. But I think
they can mess somebody's road up. I think knock a
team out early.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
But you but you're kind of treating them demnse like
they're not the two seed. They're like the two seed
playing to their seed means they're in the conference finals.
I don't see that happening. Like now, listen, maybe they
maybe somebody clips clips the Lakers and they beat them,
or maybe they can beat the Lakers. But I I
think Houston, Houston has earned enough for me to where
(23:39):
at this point I will almost assuredly be picking them
in their Round one series. I don't know, you know
what I say that, I don't know if i'd pick
them against Minnesota. I think Minnesota could be tough.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
But yeah, I could see, yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
You know, they could win, but I think i'd probably
pick Minnesota. Who's scoring big in the NBA this season.
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Speaker 2 (26:43):
Very emotional game Last Night It was Lucas first time
returning to Dallas since being traded. Originally, the fans are
super high to seem it seems like a lot of
fans are wearing the thank you for everything in Slovenian shirts.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yep, good cheering for him.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I basically after every bucket, you know, they still got
the love for Luca. And then he torched them score
forty five points. What did you think of this whole game,
this whole situation, right?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I was amazed by what Luca did. And one of
my go to beliefs in sports is a very simple phrase,
but it explains a lot, and that is legendary players
(27:32):
do legendary things. And Luca watching what I thought was
almost a too well produced pregame video, I thought that
was almost too well done because it really hit home
(27:59):
if it hadn't all ready, how outrageous the trade was,
and how blind sighted Luca was by it, and how
great he was. I was wondering how they would approach it,
how they would approach this video. Would they include the
(28:19):
step back three over Rudy Gobert in the conference finals
to give them a stranglehold on making their first NBA
finals since Dirk was there since their championship and eleven
and the answer was, Yeah, we're gonna do a real
tribute to Luca. As if this franchise didn't spend the
last six weeks calling him an out of shape alcoholic
(28:42):
that we couldn't trust With three hundred and fifty million dollars.
They did, and it really affected Luca. He's crying. He
so again. Up for those of us I know, I'm
sure there's some people listening or watching that cry all
the time, and there's some people listening or watching who
(29:04):
never cry. I think most of us are probably in
the middle part of that bell curve where we're not
never ever criers, but we are incredibly rare criers. Think
back to the last time something affected you so much
that you were brought to tears in public, and then
(29:29):
think would you have been at your best professionally ninety
seconds later? I wouldn't have been. He was. He lit
them on fire from start to finish while dealing with
the unbelievable and indescribable emotion that honestly, almost no athlete
(29:55):
in modern sports history has had to deal with quite that.
A guy that good, that young, in that sport, who
didn't want to be traded, Who thought I'm going to
be here forever, Who gets the rug pulled out from
(30:18):
under him in the middle of the night, and then
has to deal with learning second hand that, oh, evidently
a lot of these people that I worked for didn't
believe in me, didn't like me, didn't trust me, are
(30:38):
totally fine with trashing me anonymously or on the record.
Dealing with all of that, and then he scores forty five,
is the best player on the court, thirty one in
the first half, channels it all into his individual greatness
(31:04):
that is as legendary as it as you will ever see.
And I saw the stat and it's a great one
that Luca becomes the first player you'll like this demanse,
the first player in more than fifty years to score
(31:26):
forty five plus points for a team and then forty
five plus points against that team in the same season.
And I'll tell you who the guy was who did
it before. But think about what the needle you have
to thread for that to happen. You have to be
good enough to where you have multiple forty five point games.
(31:49):
You also have to be traded during the year. The
last guy that did that, the only guy to do
that was Wilt. But Wilt was a bit of a
no Mad's too strong, but he moved around. He also was,
(32:12):
similarly to Luca, I think, unfairly maligned or not fully
appreciated for how great he truly was. But Wilt didn't
get traded against his will. Wilt didn't get blindsided by it.
(32:36):
And for Luca to be able to do that, and
for the Lakers to embrace him the way they have
Lebron is, you know, cheering on the crowd when they're
chanting Luca. Luca the embrace with his teammates right after
(33:00):
the introductions, everybody kind of taking a step back and saying,
this is Luca's moment. If you're a vibes reader, the
Lakers vibes are absolutely off the charts right now. All right,
let's go to the other side of this game for
a moment.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, I saw on the other side of it Anthony
Davis was playing his ex team as well. That doesn't
really seem to be making noise.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well, so here's why I think, because it wasn't in
LA I think because nobody felt like I don't think
anybody felt like the Lakers betrayed Ad because it's just
a trade you have to make. I also think this
(33:53):
last night was a great example of why AD is
such a frustrating great player. And last night was also
a good example of the gap between all time great
and legend because Anthony Davis in that game, with the
(34:19):
Lakers not having a real sinner and him fully healthy,
you would have liked to see him be like, listen,
one way or another, I'm getting my thirty or at
least twenty five and putting my imprint on the game. Instead. Listen,
(34:41):
he was good defensively, and he had thirteen points. And
it's why AD is, again as great as he is,
a frustrating guy at times because he doesn't seem to
always have that extra gear that you would want and
(35:06):
the right He is not a guy that you can
just say, oh, the moment calls for it. Therefore, he's
going to be brilliant, at least on the offensive end. Now, defensively,
everybody still brings up the Lakers free throw edge over
(35:27):
the last few years and all of these things. That's
an Anthony Davis stat not because he's drawing so many fouls,
but because he is and has been, and it's criminal.
This guy's going to go his whole career without winning
a Defensive Player of the Year. But he has been
the best rim protector in the league for a half
(35:50):
decade plus now, and he can protect the rim without fouling,
which is what led to those free throw discrepancies, and
he was able to do a lot of that live
last night, But thirteen points in that moment is just
a just a bummer.
Host
Nick Wright
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