PMT DB
PMT DB
Ryen Russillo and Isaiah Hartenstein on the NBA Draft and OKC's Title
The Oklahoma City Thunder finally had their parade, and Big Cat and PFT are basking in the glory of their good friend Alex Caruso becoming an NBA champion. While the city of Oklahoma City celebrated by giving every player their own official day, the guys couldn't help but notice how the young core handled the victory. Jalen Williams claimed he had his first drink ever during the celebration, which led to a discussion about the proper cadence for future libations.
PFT CommenterNBA players should only drink alcohol when they win a championship
What I'm saying for [Jalen Williams] is he should not say he's never gonna drink again. Because you should drink just only when you win an NBA championship. I'll see you next year beer.
Hank, meanwhile, is dealing with the immediate dismantling of his championship Celtics roster. With Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday gone just a year after the duck boats, Hank is trying to convince himself that the Celtics fleeced the Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons. The energy shifted quickly to Chet Holmgren, who looked absolutely obliterated at the parade despite his lanky frame.
Big CatChet Holmgren is a two-can drunk
How many beers do you think it takes Chet [Holmgren] to get drunk? I think it's like, I think he's a two can. I think two beers and a cigarette. Yeah. And he was puking.
Hot Seat and Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne featured a deep dive into the world of AI, where Zac warned that we are rapidly approaching a point of no return for reality on the internet. Between AI DJs and kittens jumping off high dives, the line is blurring.
ZacWithin six months, humans will be unable to distinguish AI from reality
My Hot Seat is pretty much everybody on earth. We probably need to come together and realize that we can't tell anymore. No. There's like, and I thought this would be like a decade, 15, 20 years from now. It's, I think it's in the next six months where it's here, it's absolutely finished and there's no need in getting on the internet. 'Cause you have no clue what you're looking at.
Big Cat put Joe Burrow’s viral (and terrible) baseball throw on the Hot Seat. While some fans were worried about the QB’s shoulder, Big Cat sees the hand of Michael Rubin and Fanatics behind the scenes.
Big CatJoe Burrow's bad baseball throw was a paid viral moment
My spin zone is that Michael Rubin just paid off every single person that had anything to do with Fanatics Fest and... Joe Burrow, you're gonna throw a baseball poorly. I actually think that he probably bought viral moments. I actually think that he probably bought viral moments... It's titled Joe Burrow throws a baseball poorly and here's the offer sheet.
PFT floated a bold strategy for the Washington Wizards to fix their attendance issues, suggesting they should look outside the traditional draft pool to find a real needle-mover.
PFT CommenterThe Wizards should draft Caitlin Clark to sell tickets
Why don't the [Wizards] draft Caitlin Clark? I think she'd sell tickets. I think she'd sell tickets. Now is, is she at the ability level to be an NBA player? No. Obviously not. But sell tickets. She can go out there, there ball and hoop. She can hit a couple threes.
Ryen Russillo and the NBA Draft
Our good friend Ryen Russillo joined the show to clean up the NBA Finals and look ahead to the draft. He broke down why the Houston Rockets are actually the perfect landing spot for Kevin Durant, specifically regarding their need for a closer who can actually get a bucket when the game is on the line.
Ryen RussilloThe Houston Rockets are a great fit for Kevin Durant because they lack a clear number one scoring option in the clutch
I think it's a great fit for him... they would've loved for [the closer] to be Jalen Green... He was not that guy against Golden State... they need something else on the wing that they can really depend on... [Kevin Durant] is desperately what they needed on offense. Like go get us those closing playoff moment buckets.
The conversation moved to the Duke trio of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach. Russillo is high on all three, noting that Flagg’s competitiveness is what really sets him apart from the field.
Ryen RussilloThe Duke trio of Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach are all special NBA prospects
I like all three guys a lot. [Cooper] Flagg... anticipation, the defense, I mean it just, his passing all this stuff is that he's a, he's a real competitor... [Kon] Knueppel iss like he's, he's gonna be very good pro... [Khaman] Maluach... he stays in front of [guards] by moving his feet... Those three guys are really special prospects.
When looking at the slide of Ace Bailey, Ryen provided some insight into the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that happens during draft season when camps start playing games with visits and workouts.
Ryen RussilloAce Bailey's draft stock is falling because his camp is trying to manipulate which team picks him
Are they trying to navigate this thing to get [Ace] Bailey from three to say six because they feel like there's a ton of shots and ton of points... they're gonna make back all the money that he loses dropping a few slots.
He also didn't hold back on Bradley Beal’s current status in Phoenix, suggesting that the former Wizard has reached a level of "checked out" that is almost impressive if it wasn't so detrimental to a winning environment.
Ryen RussilloBradley Beal has the least competitive pride relative to talent in the NBA
I mean 'cause [Bradley Beal] is just so checked out. He's totally, I think the scary thing about him is that, you know, I think anybody you think like if you're this good then there has to be some competitive pride in you. And he may have the least, there may be the biggest gap between just talent and how much he doesn't care. Yeah. Of any [player].
Isaiah Hartenstein and Mt. Rushmore Season
Fresh off the championship, Isaiah Hartenstein hopped on to talk about the culture in OKC. He credited the team's defensive identity as the reason they were never out of a game, even when shots weren't falling.
The 2024-25 Thunder didn't have a single 'weak link' on defense
To me, I don't think we really had a weak link on defense. I mean even [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is a great defender to me. So it's like when you have five guys on the court at all time... I've probably never played on a team where top to bottom, we all had great defenders.
He also discussed the viral moment of his son sleeping through the post-game press conference, noting that even the loudest championship celebration couldn't compete with the power of a one-year-old's nap schedule.
To wrap up the show, the guys kicked off Mount Rushmore season with the Mount Rushmore of things that start with the letter M. It got contentious immediately when PFT and Hank claimed "Moms" while Big Cat and Zac tried to select "MILFs," leading to a high-level semantic debate that nearly derailed the segment.
If the Wizards don't draft Caitlin Clark, they are officially not trying.
