Takes

Jimmy Butler's era as 'Playoff Jimmy' is officially over

is this the death of playoff, Jimmy? ... He, the last two games he took 20 shots total. ... He's going to be 36 before next year. He's playoff Jimmy done.

The trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle was a rare win-win for both the Timberwolves and the Knicks

I think that both the Knicks and the Timberwolves both got a lot better by doing that trade. The rare win-win trade where, I guess, who was it? The Hornets. The Hornets lost that trade. Yes. The other two teams won. Both teams got a whole lot better.

Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world and was since his rookie year

I thought he was the best basketball player in the world... I watched it and at the end of the practice they asked me, said, what'd you think? I said, I don't know who that fat kid is over there, but he's your best player. And it's not even close.

I gave my NBA MVP vote to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

I actually voted for Shai. And it was a very, very, very hard vote... The Thunder had 18 more wins than the Nuggets. Right. At some point I don't always vote for the guy who's the highest in the standings, but at some point that matters.

I don't see the Warriors winning another game in this series without Steph Curry.

I don't see [the Warriors] winning another game without Steph. But it could happen if [Jimmy Butler] does the J But thing.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the most assets to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available.

I think the Thunder actually have the most [assets] of all. If [Giannis Antetokounmpo] becomes available, those GMs that have been keeping their picks, they're gonna pull the trigger.

The Warriors will not win their series against the Timberwolves without Steph Curry

The Warriors just couldn't, they didn't have enough offense. And, and the wolves, like even with Anthony Edwards... I'll just say it. The Warriors will not win this series without Steph.

The Knicks are built specifically to beat the Celtics

I've said for the last like three, four months, this Knicks team is built to beat the Celtics.

I beat Deshaun Stevenson in a three-point contest while shooting with only one hand

Deshaun Stevenson started, you know, talking. So I said, bro, I'll beat you with one hand... and I beat him with the one hand.

The Pacers have alligator blood and never die

The Pacers are just, they, they, they have alligator blood, they do not die. And they, they have a belief in Tyrese Halliburton... I really think that it's like, they, they are built for this type of situation where it's like, you've seen it two times in the last three games where they're just gonna keep going at you and they're not gonna give up.

Cavs fans poking the bear by calling Tyrese Halliburton overrated was a dumb move

Then you poked the bear to start the game. That was the dumbest move that the Cavs fans could have done is to chant overrated at Halliburton before it got started. Why would you do that? He already knows that his fellow players talk about him being overrated. You don't have to remind him of it, that's gonna piss him off a little bit.

The 2024-25 Pacers look like a better version of the team that made the Eastern Conference Finals last year

The Pacers went through the wars last year and they got a little bit of scars and now it does feel like they're a different team making these big time plays and never being out of it... they look like the team in that Eastern Conference finals that what the Pacers are making everyone look like [now].

Nikola Jokic is the best player playing basketball in the world

Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world. He is the best player playing basketball right now in the world. He had 42, 22 and six. It was an MVP performance.

The Thunder are a year away from having a true second scoring option and lost to the Nuggets because they are too young

This was just a masterclass of a young team not being through it and not knowing how to close out these games and the Nuggets being the opposite... The Thunder have so many guys, but you don't have the second guy. I think you're a year away from from one of those guys being the step up guy.

Tyrese Halliburton is the most underrated player in the playoffs

That take [him being overrated] is aging very poorly, very poorly. They are five in one in the Playoffs... he might be the most underrated player in these NBA playoffs. I think he deserves some flowers. He deserves some of those media cycles where we're like, he's 25 and he's three wins away from bringing his team to the conference finals two years in a row.

James Harden is the biggest choker in NBA history

Is he the biggest choker? I don't know if it's choker or just Bright lights scares him away guy of all time because at this point it is now four different teams that he's done this with. It is, he's great in the regular season. He can be great in the beginning of a series... But then when the Bright, the lights get the brightest and it's game seven, he's a complete no show. And it's, it's not even, there's not even a debate anymore. I think he is [number one all time].

The Bucks are in a weird spot where they can't even fully tank if they trade Giannis

The Bucks don't own any of their own picks for the foreseeable future. So they're in a weird situation where they can't really tank... if they trade Giannis for picks, you're now, you have to hope that the other teams stink... the bucks are kind of stuck in a spot where it doesn't help for them to just be bad.

The Cavaliers will beat the Pacers in six games

I'm gonna say Cavs in six Cavs are really good. I think the Cavs I respect the hell out of the Cavs.

Steph Curry demolished and ruined the Houston Rockets franchise twice in two different eras

Steph Curry broke and demolished the rockets. The James Harden Rockets... The Rockets then bottomed out three years in a row... And guess who's still there demolishing these new rockets, Steph Curry. Yeah. It's very, that's so brutal. They literally went through an entire rebuild and the guy who who who, who tore them down the first time is still standing there tearing them down this time.

The Pacers vs. Cavaliers series will be more competitive than most people expect

I'm excited for the Pacers-Cavs series. I think the Pacers-Cavs is gonna be a more competitive series than people think. So I, I put a lot of respect on the Pacers.

The NBA should stop the Eastern Conference playoffs because the Celtics are just going to eat everyone

Can we just stop with the Eastern conference playoffs? Can we just not do 'em? Because what's happening is every team is just kind of getting fattened up to get eaten by the Celtics and a delicious snack. Like that's what's gonna happen.

The Thunder versus Grizzlies series is a total mismatch of men versus boys

The Grizzlies, the one series that we can all agree is just needs to be over is the Grizzly Thunder. Yeah. That this is, this is men versus boys. The Thunder's defense is so fucking good... It's just a not it's not a real series.

The Bucks are in serious trouble after their Game 1 loss to the Pacers

I don't wanna overreact to game ones. I think the bucks are in a lot of trouble. I think the Pacers are really good... Halliburton was not good shooting and they still blew him out and it was never really close.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will ask for a trade out of Milwaukee

I feel like the bucks are just kind of a bummer now. 'cause I, I, I like Giannis... and maybe honest in in Milwaukee... Probably. He might, he might ask out. I don't know.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are significantly better than the Miami Heat

The Cavs are so much better than the heat. I would take the under on two [Heat wins]... I think the calves are a lot better than the heat and they've been very good all year. And the heat are not, I mean they're just not a very good team.

The Lakers' roster is not currently built to win the 12 playoff games necessary to win the Western Conference

I don't think there's a lot of pressure on the Lakers... they're not built. The roster isn't built out to win 12 playoff games to win the West, in my opinion.

John Morant will be ready to start next season despite his ankle injury

I thought he was done for like the entire off season. I thought that it was like ja morant questionable for starting of next year when he came down on his ankle... But then he is like, you know what, fuck it, I'm gonna go back in. [He'll] be fine.

NBA divisions are completely useless and should be abolished

Divisions in the NBA are, there's literally no reason for 'em. It's meeting, there's... Just get rid of them. Get rid of them. So stupid. No one cares about the divisions.

He woke up every day in January convinced he was going to be fired

When we were that, that stretch in January where we weren't playing well, I was woke up every day and told myself I'm getting fired if we don't turn. I'm, I'm, I'm done... and I would tell the staff too, I'm like, guys, we're done. Like, you know, we don't figure this thing out, you know, like we, we just, we don't deserve to coach here.

Soccer cutting and spacing tactics translate directly to basketball

Cutting a place. You know, the way you cut can open up a two on one, you know, for the guy next to you... to move the defense. That stuff comes from soccer. That's my favorite sport to watch.

The Celtics are healthy and can beat anyone in the NBA

I just, they're saying the Celtics are healthy, they can beat anyone. [The Thunder] are really, really good team and they could do everything, but they don't have the experience. And I think even if both teams are fully healthy and playing their A games, the Celtics still win.

The Chicago Bulls will use the Play-In tournament to justify mediocrity

When they originally announced the play in, I was like this is going to be for franchises like the Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf is gonna use this as like 'we almost made the playoffs' every single year and they're exactly in that spot. Again. They shouldn't be a playoff team.

UConn and South Carolina will meet in the Women's National Championship

Women's picks... UConn and South Carolina to meet in the final. I believe it is plus 400. That list is way bigger than we've ever had it in the women's game. So I'm fired up.

The 76ers tanking this season is the most necessary tank in NBA history

it's also the most necessary tank ever... realistically, we we're trying to get to five. Right. Because if you get to five, then one team can still jump you. Right. And you And we'll still get our first round pick... it's like you have to lose. You have to lose.

Anthony Davis's return to the Mavericks will be cut short by another injury almost immediately

I'll tell you what's gonna happen if they decide for [Anthony Davis] to come back, he's gonna have like a hamstring strain. Yeah. In game one. It's gonna be planned out like the Bay of Pigs and then it's gonna be over just as fast.

The 2024-25 Dallas Mavericks are having one of the worst sports seasons of all time relative to expectations

Given all the context though, I think this has to be one of the worst seasons of all time. And I know that people will be like, well, that's reactionary. But I'm just saying the context of finals run last year, like future seems super bright... everything fell apart.

The Celtics are officially 'all the way back' as title favorites

The Celtics waxed [the Knicks]... it's back on. All, all the way back on. The last five, they've won each by minimum 13.

The Milwaukee Bucks' championship window is likely already closed

The Giannis thing is is terrific... But I I think the reality is the NBA stories, the way they go, like their, their window's probably already closed.

NBA 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].

The NBA will not move the season start date to Christmas in the near future

There has been [consideration to starting on Christmas]... but the issue we have there is one of moving into the summer. We wanted our season to be over by July 1st. I will say, I think all these things we will continue to look at, [but] I don't think in the short term we'll do it.

Paul George has uploaded more podcast clips to YouTube than he has made field goals since joining the 76ers.

Since joining the Sixers, Paul George has uploaded more podcast clips to YouTube—228—than field goals made—191. Respect the grind. His social guy is doing a great job. Like 228 podcast clips... you know how to generate revenue. That's pretty good. But then the field goals made, 191... that doesn't sound quite as great.

The Wizards' trade deadline moves are just a plan for active tanking

What the Wizards are doing. They're just, they're moving names around. They're doing stuff with the salary cap that I don't understand, but I know that what they're engaged in is just active tanking... now we've had a plan in place where it's like, get, you have to get really fucking bad.

Dennis Schroeder's comparison of the NBA trade deadline to modern slavery is absurd given guaranteed contracts

Dennis Schroeder from the Warriors said the trade deadline is like 'modern slavery'... I feel like Dennis Schroeder just figured out how sports work. Here's another thing—if you, I mean in the NBA, you have guaranteed contracts. So unlike a regular job where you can be fired and just not paid, the NBA, even if you get traded, you still get paid.

Karl-Anthony Towns might actually be 'built like that' for the pressure of New York

Also Karl-Anthony Towns. He might be the perfect fit for New York. He had a big shot. He was repping it. Yeah. And the Knicks had been hot. Like Karl-Anthony Towns might be built like that.

The Philadelphia 76ers will reach 10 wins by Christmas Day

10 wins. 10 wins. Gotta get 10 wins by Christmas. I think you gotta get to 10 wins... eight and five's not that hard. Can find eight wins. 10 wins. 10 wins. Gotta get 10 wins by Christmas.

Nikola Jokic is the best player in the NBA right now

Who is the best player in the NBA right now? [Jokic]. Yeah. He is. [Jokic]. I honestly think it's his feeling for the ball. Right. I know a ton of motherfuckers that can pass, but like a one second pass is worse than a 0.3 pass... His feel for the game, his feel for the ball I think is one of his best attributes.

Klay Thompson is going to go nuts in his first game back at Golden State — taking every Klay over

I'm just gonna take every single Klay Thompson over. First time back in Golden State. He's gonna go nuts.

Kobe Bryant would make me do defensive drills for two hours without ever touching a basketball

I've never been to a workout where I go first off at six o'clock in the morning and we do defense for two hours. We would have days where we would not dribble a basketball. For two hours, two and a half hours. And he was so technical, like, no, you can't slide that way. He was insane.

The 76ers will make the playoffs

They're gonna make the playoffs. Paul George is playing tonight. What are we gonna do five games into the season? They're gonna make the playoffs.

Doc Rivers is on the Hot Seat because the Bucks have no identity

My Hot Seat is Doc Rivers... They are one in three on the season 18 and 22 in the Doc Rivers era. Mm. And Giannis was talking in the post game and said, right now we don't have an identity... How are we gonna win the game? ... No identity's bad.