PMT DB
PMT DB
Ryen Russillo on NBA Draft, Mount Rushmore Season, and Brooks Koepka's LIV Move
The sports world is shifting beneath our feet as Brooks Koepka becomes the latest big name to defect to the LIV Tour. While the PGA might be scrambling for a response, Big Cat and PFT are coming down with the hammer: Brooks is officially suspended from Blake of the Year pending an appeal. Hank, meanwhile, is already fully leaning into the chaos.
HankI am a huge LIV Golf fan because the golfers are good and it's free on YouTube
I've been watching the LIV Tour since it started. I will continue to watch it. I'm a huge LIV fan. I'm just like put sports in front of me if they're entertaining and good golfers, I'll probably tune in, especially if it's free on YouTube.
Big Cat isn't necessarily shocked by the move, noting that Brooks' brother is already on the tour and that the four-time major winner has never been one for the weekly PGA grind.
Big CatBrooks Koepka joined LIV Golf because he doesn't enjoy the grind of regular PGA events
I wasn't surprised that Brooks [Koepka] is going up. His brother's on the tour. I also think like there hasn't been anyone who shocked me... Brooks has battled some knee injuries. He doesn't love playing a regular PGA events all the time... He shows up for the majors.
Stanley Cup and the Warriors' Drunk Parade
The Stanley Cup Final is turning into a game of psychological warfare. After the Lightning got blown out in the first two games, they responded with some chippiness and a crucial win. Big Cat is sensing a classic Tampa Bay comeback narrative forming.
Big CatThe Lightning are perfectly set up to win the Stanley Cup if they win Game 4
The Lightning are set up so perfectly where they've done this now a few times in these playoffs where they start slow in a series. And so if they win game four, you're just going to be like, well, here it goes. It's happening again.
As for the NBA, the Golden State Warriors held their victory parade, which was basically a masterpiece of public intoxication. Klay Thompson was the undisputed MVP, losing his championship ring in the crowd, trucking a woman on the street, and doing Michael Jackson moves on the trophy. It was a reminder that the best part of winning a title is getting so blind drunk that you forget you're a professional athlete.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne covered everything from John Wall's massive payday to the Qatari government's stance on one-night stands during the World Cup. PFT is especially skeptical about the Yankees' historic start to the season, suggesting they might be getting a little too creative with their ball preparation.
PFT CommenterThe Yankees are definitely cheating to prepare baseballs because they are winning too much
The Yankees are probably definitely doing something different with their balls [because they win every game]... in baseball, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. And so every single team is cheating in a certain way. This seems like they're closing a pretty big cheating loophole.
Big CatThe 2022 Qatar World Cup is one of the worst overall sports tournaments in history
It's really one of the worst overall tournaments of all time ever... we're doing an entire world cup in the middle of the desert where we have to blast air conditioning and do the tournament in the middle of American football.
Big Cat’s Cool Throne belongs to the Pittsburgh Pirates' new phenom, O'Neil Cruz. The 6'7" shortstop is doing things that shouldn't be physically possible for a human that size, and Big Cat is officially all-in.
Big CatPirates shortstop O'Neil Cruz is the most electric player in baseball
This guy might be the most electric player I've ever seen in my life. 6'7" he's a shortstop. He ran 31.5 miles per hour. Hardest throw by an infielder in Major League Baseball this year, he threw a ball from shortstop to first 96.7 miles per hour. I am buying all my stock and O'Neil Cruz right now.
Ryen Russillo on the NBA Draft
Ryen Russillo joined the show to help kick off Mount Rushmore season, but first, he had to address the Chris Paul-sized elephant in the room. Despite the Suns' collapse, Russillo is doubling down on his CP3 allegiance.
Ryen RussilloThe Phoenix Suns will win the 2023 NBA title in six games
I know the truth. I've been able to—the Chris Paul thing. I'm good to go. I can't wait. Suns in six next season.
When the conversation shifted to the actual draft, Russillo provided the kind of tape-grinding analysis that only he can. He broke down the battle for the top pick, making it clear that while others are enamored with potential, Paolo Banchero is the guy who actually controls the floor right now.
Ryen RussilloPaolo Banchero is the best player in the 2022 draft class right now
I don't think there's any debate that Paolo [Banchero] is the best player of the three of [Jabari Smith Jr.] and Chet [Holmgren] right now. The job is to go star hunting. Paolo just took over as a 6'10" playmaker dribbling off a high ball screens. To me that's what the game is.
Ryen RussilloThe high-end talent in the 2022 NBA Draft ends after Jaden Ivey
Everyone's talked up—does it end after those three guys [Banchero, Holmgren, Smith]? I think it ends after [Jaden] Ivey. I do think he's that good. There's just something to be said about a guy that moves unlike everybody else. They don't make a lot of people that move on a basketball court like Jaden Ivey.
Russillo also highlighted some of his favorite mid-lottery targets, including Jeremy Sochan, who he believes has the kind of competitive "edge" that every winning team craves. On the flip side, he’s expressing some major hesitation about Shaedon Sharpe, the mystery man of the class.
Ryen RussilloJeremy Sochan will be a winning player that every NBA team wants
I just think that [Jeremy] Sochan's got some way that he's wired, that he's going to impact games in a very unique [way]. I think he's the kind of guy, if it goes right, that every team's like, shit, we need somebody like that. He gets out there with his edge, his athleticism, and he just impacts basketball games.
Ryen RussilloShaedon Sharpe is a candidate to be a draft bust because of concerns about his head and limited tape
The [Shaedon] Sharpe part of it is a little weird for me... to this point, it hasn't made a ton of sense to me. And when I watched the [tape]... even his answers to stuff sometimes I'd be like, 'where is this guy's head at?' Even though I get it, he's really, really young. But the stuff that he even saw that I had access to, I didn't really like.
Mount Rushmore of Things We’ll Never Do
To close out the interview, the guys launched the first Mount Rushmore of the summer: Things We'll Never Do. This year features a team format with Big Cat and PFT squaring off against Team Hank. The picks ranged from the practical (never owning a snake) to the life-altering (never trying heroin intentionally).
Russillo’s list focused on his own limitations, including never attempting extreme feats of toughness or visiting Antarctica. However, the most controversial moment came when Big Cat made a very specific choice about his cognitive future versus his linguistic skills.
Big CatI would rather have Alzheimer's than go through the effort of learning a new language
I would rather have Alzheimer's [than] learn a new language. sitting down and trying to learn an entirely new language... fluent in a new language would take so much.
We wrapped up with a classic Guys on Chicks segment featuring lube-related hand sanitizer accidents and the proper terminology for a "chili ring."
If you name your horse Leather Cheerio, you officially owe the show money.
