PMT DB
PMT DB
Peter Schrager on NFL Draft and Alex Caruso on NBA Playoffs
The city of Philadelphia is officially dead. After Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks marched into the Wells Fargo Center and treated it like a home game at MSG, Max is left picking up the pieces of a shattered Sixers franchise. While the Knicks' supporting cast was diving for every loose ball and snatching offensive rebounds like their lives depended on it, the Sixers looked like a team that had already checked out. Max, ever the defender of the Process, tried to find a silver lining in the box score, but the vibes are at an all-time low.
MaxJoel Embiid is having a better series than Jalen Brunson
Joel Embiid is scoring 35 points a game. 45% from the field and a plus 34 when he's on the court... Jalen Brunson is scoring 33 points a game 40% from the field and is a minus three when he's on the court. And the difference that people are talking about Jalen Brunson and Joel Embiid is absolutely insane.
Despite the stats, the eye test told a different story. The Knicks just outworked Philly in every facet of the game, proving that sometimes being a "dog" is more valuable than being a superstar with Bells Palsy. Max eventually conceded that while his team might have more individual talent, they simply didn't have the heart to match the Knicks' intensity.
MaxThe Sixers are a better basketball team than the Knicks, the Knicks just want it more
The Sixers are a better basketball team. It's just that [the Knicks] want it more. They are just dogs. They want, it's just that they want it more.
Schrager's Draft Breakdown
Our good friend Peter Schrager joined the show fresh off the plane from Detroit to help make sense of the absolute chaos that was the 2024 NFL Draft. Naturally, the conversation started with the Atlanta Falcons and their decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. just weeks after giving Kirk Cousins enough money to buy a small country. Schrager offered some perspective on why Atlanta felt they couldn't pass up the opportunity, even if it meant making things incredibly awkward in the locker room.
Peter SchragerThe Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. to ensure they never enter 'quarterback purgatory' again
This move to them ensures that no matter what happens in the next two to three years... they will not be in quarterback purgatory. They viewed Michael Penix as a top 10 prospect in this draft. They themselves do not see them being in the top 10 again now that they have Kirk Cousins. So the argument is best player on the board.
Schrager also touched on the Commanders' first draft under the new regime. While PFT was buzzing about the Jaden Daniels era, he was even more excited about how they managed to play the board against their division rivals. He's convinced that Adam Peters is playing chess while the rest of the NFC East is playing checkers.
PFT CommenterThe Washington Commanders fleeced the Eagles by trading the pick that became Cooper DeJean
I thought the commander's trade with the Eagles in the second round was genius. We fleeced the Eagles, they gave up so much to take Cooper DeJean when Kool-Aid McKinstry was still on the board. I love that pick, I love to see that happen in the division.
As for the future of the league, Big Cat isn't worried about the noise surrounding Caleb Williams and his "eccentric" personality. Whether it's the nails or the pink phone case, Big Cat is all-in on the new face of the Bears franchise, believing that talent will always trump tradition in the modern NFL.
Big CatCaleb Williams is the first true 'Gen Z' quarterback and his eccentricities will become more common in the NFL
I also think he, he is, he is truly just the first like true Gen Z quarterback that we have. Like I think there'll be more Caleb Williams coming up where it's like kids that are of this age that were born on the internet that are like unique personalities. I just think it will happen more.
Alex Caruso in Studio
Alex Caruso returned to the studio for some high-level basketball talk, giving us a masterclass in why the Timberwolves are currently the most terrifying team in the league. After watching Anthony Edwards and the Wolves systematically dismantle the Suns, Caruso explained that Minnesota's defensive length and Edwards' alpha mentality make them the biggest threat to the Nuggets' throne.
Alex CarusoThe Timberwolves are the young team with the best chance to reach the NBA Finals
Based on how Minnesota's playing, I'd say the Wolves. Ant [Anthony Edwards] feels ready for the moment. Like he doesn't feel like he shies away, you know, make or miss and he's indifferent... I like how their team fits for the postseason.
On the flip side, Caruso broke down exactly why the Phoenix Suns' experiment failed so spectacularly. It turns out that having three elite scorers doesn't mean much if no one is actually running the offense. Without a true floor general, the Suns' "all-in" move has quickly turned into one of the most expensive disasters in sports history.
Alex CarusoThe Phoenix Suns' primary problem is the lack of a lead point guard
I think they're missing a point guard. Like a lead guard. Like somebody to organize everything to take some of the pressure off these other guys... they don't have a stable force.
Big CatThe Phoenix Suns' 'all-in' move is an all-time disaster
This has maybe been one of the greatest, like rich guy buys a team who thinks he's the smartest guy in the world... does a bunch of all-in moves and it blows up in record time. They have zero first round picks from 2025 to 2030. They have zero second round picks... They have one pick in the NBA draft between now and 2031. That's insane.
Playoff Eulogies
PFT took a moment to reflect on the Washington Capitals' brief and uninspiring playoff run. While most fans would be depressed about a sweep, PFT found a way to spin the Rangers' success into a moral victory for Tom Wilson and the Caps. If the Rangers win the Cup, you can thank Tom Wilson for scaring them into becoming a better team.
PFT CommenterThe Rangers' status as a juggernaut is a direct result of Tom Wilson's hit on Artemi Panarin
The Rangers turned around their entire franchise a couple years ago when Tom Wilson in a horrifying act of violence threw Panarin into the ground... They fired their entire front office after that because they realized that they were a soft hockey team. Since that moment, the Rangers have turned it around.
Big Cat, however, has a much simpler way of dealing with early playoff exits. If you didn't last a full week, it basically didn't count.
Big CatIf a team gets eliminated within one week of the playoffs starting, the playoff appearance never really happened
I have a hard and fast rule when it comes to the playoffs. If you get eliminated within a single week, it never really happened... No one's gonna remember you're in the playoffs, which is probably for the better.
Before letting Caruso go, we had to ask about the guy who is currently breaking the NBA's brain: Victor Wembanyama. Caruso confirmed that the hype is real and that the mental pressure Wemby puts on opponents is something we haven't seen since the peak LeBron years. The league is officially on notice.
Alex CarusoVictor Wembanyama is already a mental hurdle for offensive players and will eventually break the league
I saw the clips this year, like they were guys that were on fast breaks and like he's a step behind him and they just dribbled out... once he figures out like people's games and like how the flow of the game works, he's, he's gonna set some records. It is gonna be like how teams had to match up with LeBron for like a stretch of like a decade.
We wrap up with Who's Back of the Week and a lottery ball segment that saw Pug continue his historic run of dominance while Max remains winless and miserable.
Stay out of the draft room, David Tepper.
