PMT DB
PMT DB
Adam Silver and Joe Burrow on NBA Rule Changes and Super Bowl Fallout
Football season has officially wrapped, and while the guys are feeling the post-Super Bowl void, the sports gods delivered a massive distraction with Luka Doncic making his Lakers debut. The vibes in LA are through the roof, mostly because people are obsessed with Luka’s facial expressions on the bench. Big Cat, ever the body language expert, has a different theory about why the Slovenian superstar looks so relieved to be sitting down during timeouts.
Big CatLuka Doncic is so out of shape that it is physically painful for him to stand up
Luca's smiling on the bench after the first time out. That's probably because he is sitting and it's nice to sit, [because it's] painful for him to stand 'cause he is so out of shape.
While Lakers fans are planning the parade, Big Cat isn't convinced that Luka possesses the same psychological edge as the greats who came before him.
Big CatLuka Doncic doesn't have the same drive as Shaquille O'Neal
But in defense of us, mark Luca is, he doesn't, he doesn't want it enough. Like a guy like Shaq. Right?
Max’s Super Bowl Victory Lap
Max is back in studio and still smelling like a New Orleans bar after spending the weekend celebrating the Eagles' Super Bowl win. He gave the play-by-play of his night with the team, which included getting into the ultra-exclusive players-only section at the afterparty thanks to Big Dom. While Max was too starstruck (or drunk) to actually take pictures with Jalen Hurts or Nick Sirianni, Pug managed to snag a legendary photo with the Eagles head coach while Sirianni was ripping tequila shots and wearing a cigar.
The conversation naturally turned to the Patrick Mahomes legacy after another loss to a Kyle Shanahan-led team. Big Cat is starting to wonder if Mahomes has just been lucky enough to run into a coach who specializes in big-game collapses.
Big CatPatrick Mahomes is a Kyle Shanahan merchant
I had a thought while driving in this morning: is Patrick Mahomes a Kyle Shanahan merchant? Two out of three of his Super Bowls [were] against Kyle Shanahan, who can't win the big one.
Despite the Mahomes fatigue, Hank has seen enough from the Eagles' signal-caller to make a definitive call on the NFL hierarchy. Between the head-to-head records and the sheer dominance this season, Hank is officially planting his flag on Jalen Hurts island.
HankJalen Hurts is just better than Patrick Mahomes
I actually, like Max and Rowan were onto something with the Jalen Hurts thing. What he might be, I think he is just better than Mahomes. Their head-to-head matchups... Hurts has dominated them.
HankJalen Hurts is currently the best quarterback in the NFL
Realistically, where do you rank Jalen Hurtz as quarterbacks in the NFL Right now? Right now one.
Commissioner Adam Silver
In a PMT first, a sitting commissioner joined the show. Adam Silver sat down to talk about the evolution of the NBA, the All-Star game's new format, and the trade that sent shockwaves through the league. Silver was surprisingly open about the league's willingness to embrace technology to fix officiating gripes that drive fans crazy, specifically regarding out-of-bounds calls and goal-tending.
Adam SilverNBA officiating will use technology to objectively determine out-of-bounds and goal-tending soon
We're not that far away from having technology where... there's an automated call as to whether the ball was inside the line or outside. We are working with Sony to bring that to basketball so that whoever's... foot was on the line, anything that can be objectively determined—goal tending, et cetera [will be automated].
Big Cat and PFT tried their best to pitch the Commissioner on some more "progressive" ideas, like removing the review system for a week or letting players fight fans. While Silver shot down the gladiatorial combat, he did hint that the way we consume the game is about to become much more customizable, especially for those who want to see—or avoid—betting lines.
Adam SilverNBA broadcasts will soon allow fans to toggle sports betting information on or off
I think we're not that far away where you're just gonna go click. And if you don't want any information about sports betting, you won't have to look at it. On the other hand, if you're someone in a state where it's illegal and you can get, get a bet on sports, you'll see a lot more information if that's what you want.
Joe Burrow Returns
Our good friend Joe Burrow stopped by to recap what he considers his best statistical season yet, even if the Bengals' 4-8 start made for a mentally taxing year. Joe Cool talked about his rehab process, his questionable fashion choices (specifically the pink vest that drew Ellen DeGeneres comparisons), and his desire to stay in Cincinnati long-term. When the guys asked about the cap implications of keeping his star receivers, Joe showed he’s been doing his homework on the Bengals' front office spreadsheets.
Joe BurrowI would convert my salary to a signing bonus to help the Bengals keep players
Most of the guys just convert it to to signing bonus. I would do that.
Burrow also gave us some insight into his off-season training, claiming that he’s actually becoming a better athlete as he gets older. He’s working on a spin move and apparently finding extra gears in the open field.
Joe BurrowI'm actually getting faster as I get older
I'm getting better at sliding and protecting myself. And I'm getting more agile so I'm making some more people miss. I'm getting a little faster and I'm gonna continue to work on that.
Hot Seat, Cool Throne and Fyre Fest
Hot Seat/Cool Throne featured a discussion on the Lakers' desperate search for a big man, leading to the inevitable Dwight Howard rumors. PFT isn't exactly sold on the idea that Dwight still has the juice to compete in today's NBA.
PFT CommenterDwight Howard isn't actually good at basketball anymore
Stephen A. Smith was making the case for Dwight Howard today coming back... I'm in support of that just because it would be very funny, but I don't think he's very good at basketball. [He's] one of those guys that looks in shape, but he probably doesn't have any of the skills that he once had.
To wrap up the show, Big Cat dropped a bombshell during Fyre Fest. Feeling the effects of turning 40 and dealing with random aches and pains, he has decided to set a goal that seems physically impossible to everyone else in the room.
Big CatI am officially going to learn how to dunk a basketball
I have a announcement for you guys. Ready for this? I think I'm gonna dunk. I think I'm gonna dunk. I've never dunked, but I think I'm gonna train in dunk.
Hank, who has his own history of failed vertical leap goals, was the first to point out the massive biological hurdles standing in Big Cat's way.
HankBig Cat would have to lose a significant amount of weight to ever dunk
I hope you could too. You would have to lose a lot of weight. I know you're not going, you're don't. I would, don't put a time.
We'll see if the training starts during the upcoming vacation, or if this is just another dream that dies at the first sight of a rim.
