Takes

Victor Wembanyama is the #1 player in the NBA based on 'things' per game

He's got a new stat... it's just called 'things'. It takes into account everything: points are things, rebounds are things, blocks are things, steals are things. And Wemby leads SGA in things this season on a per game basis by quite a bit. He's the number one guy in the NBA in terms of things per game.

Nikola Jokic has nearly as many triple-doubles as Joel Embiid has total games played since Embiid won the MVP

Jokic, since Joel Embiid won the MVP, has 87 triple doubles. Joel Embiid has played in 91 games. So Jokic has almost as many triple doubles as games that Embiid has played in since he won the MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will never be traded

Giannis is never going to get traded. Everyone's hair's on fire, everyone's panicking and nothing ever happens. Giannis is never going to get traded.

The Indiana Pacers are going to be a problem in the NBA next season.

The Pacers are going to be a problem next year... They're most likely gonna have a top three pick... They're gonna be a problem next year.

Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White will both be traded by the Bulls by the end of the deadline.

Also a sign that probably IO and Kobe White are going to be moved and they might, when you're listening to this, they might have already been traded.

The claim that I ran Kevin Durant out of Golden State is closer to the truth than the claim that I begged him to join the team.

The one that is probably closest to the truth is I ran [Kevin Durant] out of town... Because I'm not begging anyone for this... I don't quite know if I ran him myself. But I'll take that one.

The Trae Young trade to the Wizards is the most 'NBA trade' ever because it's only about spreadsheets

It was the most NBA trade of all time. Oh yeah. Because neither team is doing this trade to win a title. No, they're not even really doing it to get better at basketball. They're just shuffling guys... because your spreadsheet could use a guy with that number next to it.

Trey Young will be traded from the Atlanta Hawks in a mutual parting of ways

My Hot Seat is Trey Young. Because it looks like he is asking, demanding to be traded from the Atlanta Hawks and the Hawks are also trying to trade him. So I guess this is like a mutual parting of ways.

Cooper Flagg is fully activated after his 40-point game

Cooper Flagg may have fully been activated. He has reached full activation. 18 years old. 40 piece in regulation. ... If we're talking just highlight tapes, he's looking good.

LeBron James robbed fans of a hater moment by making the correct basketball play

I feel so robbed by it because [LeBron James] actually made a very selfless play. A game-winning assist for a buzzer beater. I was really hoping that the situation had occurred where he was trying to force it and he cost him the game. He robbed that from us.

Cameron Boozer was named after Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium

And [Cameron Boozer] was named after the stadium. ... Yeah, it's a fact.

Alperen Sengun is a problem and I really like this Rockets team.

I really like the Rockets. I think that guy [Sengun] is a motherfucker. He's a problem.

The rest of the NBA is in big trouble because of what Victor Wembanyama is doing.

We're seeing something that we've never seen before. And we better appreciate what this is... Big, big trouble for the rest of the league.

Ja Morant has lost his joy for basketball and is beefing with his coaches

My Hot Seat is Ja Morant... lost his joy. He's beefing with his coaches. This was like a week or so ago, but he was, you know, getting pushed in a press conference... and then last night he just said he's lost his joy.

V.J. Edgecombe's NBA debut was the best since Wilt Chamberlain

VJ Edgecombe. Absolute beast. That's how, that's how you rebuild right there... Best NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain. Wow. It's crazy. It's a crazy stat. Most points in his NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain... 34 [points] in a win over the Celtics.

The 1992 Dream Team practices were more intense than the actual Olympic games

The practices were the most intense things I've ever been through in my life. Because you had Michael [Jordan] and Clyde [Drexler] who hated each other... The games were easy. But let me tell you something. Those practices were like game sevens.

There is a better chance of Terry McLaurin playing for the Patriots than Ben Simmons playing for the Celtics

I trust Brad Stevens. I don't think this is gonna happen. I think there's a better chance Terry McLaurin plays for the Patriots than Ben Simmons plays with the Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers were a physical and sneaky aggressive defensive team in the 2025 playoffs

I knew what it was going to be like Indiana, we knew how fast they were going to play and they were sneaky, aggressive defensively through the playoffs and nobody was really talking about it. But they were really physical.

Ben Simmons hitting threes in a wide-open gym is the official sign of summer

We have the first sign of summer and it's Ben Simmons in a wide open gym hitting threes. He looked good. He looked so good... That's, that literally means summer's here.

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.

Game 7 is a legacy game for the Thunder and Thunder Princess

I'm calling it tonight. This is a legacy game. Game seven for Thunder and Thunder Princess. This is what it's all about. ... If the Thunder win this game seven, then they're gonna have to answer questions for the rest of their lives about how they tarnished their legacy with this NBA championship.

I am statistically a better basketball player than Kevin Durant and Steph Curry

Career player efficiency rating. [Big Cat: Yours is 25.3. It is higher than... Kevin Durant, Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, magic Hakeem and Steph Curry.] ... Statistically you only show statistically we only show the numbers. This is the number.

The Pacers lost Game 5 because Rick Carlisle didn't play TJ McConnell enough down the stretch

I feel like that Rick Carlisle, I don't know, maybe this is just one of those situations where he obviously knows his players better than anyone else. But TJ McConnell was a problem. I think he could not, the thunder did not know what to do with him. And he should have kept with him... they took him out for the last, like six or whatever, the crucial six minutes when they lost the game.

The Pacers will win Game 6 at home to force a Game 7

I think the Pacers are gonna figure out how to win one at home. I don't know how, I think maybe we get a TJ McConnell game. I think we just send him out there and we're like, we're gonna empty TJ's personal tank on this one... I have no reason to believe that they're gonna win game six, but I somehow do.

The Thunder have a 'defensive intensity button' they turn on to shut teams down

The crazy part about the Thunder. I feel like they just hit, they turn up the button where it's like, Hey Lou Dort now... the way they can turn up that defensive intensity, they completely shut down the Pacers in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder will still win the NBA Finals despite being down 2-1

I'm gonna go Oklahoma City still. I'm gonna stick with my original prediction. I'm not gonna change after a two-one lead. I'm gonna say Oklahoma City. They, they, they, they gotta win game four and it's a three game series and two of 'em are home for them.

The Thunder will beat the Pacers in five games

Hank you think it's it's over. Yeah. Five games. You're already calling it over.

The Indiana Pacers will win one home game in the NBA Finals

I'm gonna say the Pacers are gonna win one at home. They're gonna win one of game three or four. And if I'm wrong, who cares?

Victor Wembanyama will kill everyone next season after training as a monk

I do feel like this is gonna be [Wembanyama] fucks everybody up next season because he's Yeah. He's figured out like secret ancient martial arts.

The Indiana Pacers' game plan is to lull you to sleep and then fuck your world up in the last three minutes

The Indiana Pacers have done it again. They stole game one in Oklahoma City. These pacers, they just keep doing it... The Pacer's game plan is to lull you to sleep, being giving you a 10 point lead and then in the last three minutes, fuck your world up.

The Indiana Pacers are a legitimate team whose playoff success is no fluke

The Indiana Pacers are for real. I know that it's like crazy to say, even though they're already in the NBA finals, but they were that big of a underdogs and this game just it at some point what they're doing is not fluke.

I bet on Chet Holmgren to go over 27.5 points, rebounds, and assists in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Big Cat has Chet over 27.5 points. Rebounds assist... I think it's gonna be a big Chet series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defense will be too suffocating for the Indiana Pacers to handle.

I just can't get over the fact that the Thunder's defense is so fucking suffocating and they have so many guys that they can throw at you and just like, even I know regular season doesn't matter. Like [Dort] is gonna make Halliburton work his ass off.

Andrew Nembhard is an elite defender based on his playoff performance against Lillard, Mitchell, and Brunson

Andrew Nembhard... was incredible... he was playing ferocious defense on [Brunson]... through the playoffs, he, when he, he's a primary defender. Damien Lillard... 23.3% field goal percentage... Donovan Mitchell... 23.3% field goal percentage... And then against Jalen Brunson, 38.2% field goal percentage... He was awesome.

The Indiana Pacers are the best team in the Eastern Conference

The Pacers played the best basketball, the most consistently of any team in the postseason. Is that fair to say? Yeah, definitely. Okay. So ipso facto, they're the best team in the East.

Caitlin Clark attending Pacers home games will guarantee the NBA Finals goes to at least six games

Caitlin Clark attends game four. She forced, it's guaranteed to go at least six... the Pacers are seven and oh, and Caitlin Clark is in attendance. Yeah. The Caitlin Clark in playoffs. In effect.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are significantly better than the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA finals. Absolutely curb stomped the Timberwolves in Game five completely. Like that series wasn't really competitive... the Thunder are significantly better than the Timberwolves.

The 2025 NBA Finals is effectively the Paul George Finals because he built both rosters.

We may be headed to a finals where both teams were built on the back of trading away Paul George. The Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to Oklahoma City for [Victor] Oladipo and [Domantas] Sabonis. Sabonis developed as a player and then they traded him for Tyrese Haliburton. The Thunder meanwhile traded Paul George for SGA and seven pick swaps, one of which turned into Jalen Williams.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will win their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.

I want this series to go on more. I think. I'm not rooting for it, but I just think the Thunder are really fucking good. I think Thunder. Yeah. You know what? I think it's gonna be Thunder in five.

Luka Dončić will be in great shape when he returns for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Apparently [Luka Dončić] is back home and he's doing like a local diet and he's using like local people to get in shape. I can only assume that means just like vodka and cigarettes, which is way, way lower carb than like barbecue and beer, which is what I assume he was taking in all the time down in Texas. I choose to believe that Luca's gonna be in great shape when he comes back next [season].

The Timberwolves will likely be forced to break up their core roster next season due to the salary cap.

I don't think they can keep this team together. The core, the big piece is they can, but, so Julius Randle's a free agent, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a free agent, and Naz Reed is a free agent. He has an opt-out... I would be surprised if they were able to re-sign all three guys.

LeBron James will not take a pay cut on his next contract with the Lakers

I do not think it's in the cards that he's taking less money. It's not that necessarily he wants every dime, although he does want every dime. I don't think he believes that free agency is got anybody in it where if he takes less money that the Lakers could go use their mid-level and like have a transformational player. The intention is for him to continue to make all of the max which he has earned.

The 2024 Thunder might be the worst version of the team we see for the next five years

You could make the case that this might be the worst Thunder team that we're gonna see in the next five years. If the thunder can win with this roster, imagine what they're gonna do.

Aaron Nesmith went into 'God mode' during the Pacers comeback against the Knicks

To say the next [Knicks] choke though does a disservice to Aaron Nesmith going into God mode. That was God mode. What he did in those three minutes or whatever it was, maybe a little more was insane.

Erik Spoelstra is safe in Miami for as long as he wants

Pat [Riley] let everybody know that you'll get outta here before [Spoelstra] leaves. Well now he got time to become a great coach. Yeah. Because he has the comfort, he is comfortable sitting in this seat... Nobody works harder than Spo.

The 2011 Miami Heat lost the Finals because they hadn't learned to sacrifice yet

After we lost in that finals, that's humbling. We all was very, we all got some humble pie very quickly... We realized we was trying to show that we could play together and we wasn't sacrificing at first, we were hooping.

NBA parity is officially back with seven different champions in seven years

Parity is back. NBA parity is officially back this now with the thunder beating the nuggets in game seven. There are going to be, it's guaranteed seven different champions in seven different years in the NBA.

The New York Knicks were a better team than the Boston Celtics in their playoff series

The Nicks were the better team than the Celtics. They're... a better team than the Celtics. I'm not gonna argue that right now because I was wrong too. I thought the Knicks, I did not think the Knicks would be in the Eastern Conference final.

The Thunder are the best team remaining in the NBA playoffs

I think the Thunder are probably the best team still standing.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'dumbest' frustration foul cost the Thunder the game against the Nuggets

I also think that game was, was basically... lost by the thunder because... SGA gets one of the worst dumbest fouls... a frustration foul on Jokic where he got the ball stolen and then 60 feet from the basket just like smacked him, got his fourth foul, had to sit for the last two minutes... and it felt like all the momentum switched.