Takes

The Heat and Suns will both win their Game 6 matchups

I would bet that both of these teams that won tonight [Heat and Suns] are probably going to win game six.

The Celtics will give the Bucks a 'minor whopping' in their playoff series

As with all that being said, like minor whopping... six games. If the only two that you lose are on the road, that's a minor whopping.

The Miami Heat are the most frightening team in the Eastern Conference

The Heat are such a good team right now. I would be, that's the team that would scare me as a true blue Celtics believer. That is the team that scares me out of the East.

My live-betting strategy of taking teams down by 15-20 points in the first half is a winning system

It's a strategy though. It's a system. If a team is down by like 10 to 15, 20 points and it's still the first half, there's a live bet moneyline the other team. It's a simple system... no lead is safe in the NBA, especially in the playoffs.

The media will eventually try to make Kyrie Irving a victim and vilify Celtics fans

I'm just worried that what's going to happen is since all these quotes are being taken out by the media, people are gonna be like, they're gonna turn Kyrie into like a big victim and everything and then turn and then turn the Celtics fans into like the big bully.

The Milwaukee Bucks will sweep the Chicago Bulls in the first round

The bucks are going to kill him. It's going to, I just want it to be over as fast as possible... the box are going to sweep the bowls and at least I know how to deal with Packers fans.

The 2022 NBA Finals will be the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Golden State Warriors

I'm going to double dip. I'm going to go nets warriors... Meaning like the warriors are kind of, I'm treating them the same way I'm treated the nets, which is they're too good. They've got so much talent. They're going to figure it out.

James Harden is the perfect piece to pair with Joel Embiid

I do think the Sixers are very good now. James Harden's perfect piece to pair with [Embiid], but it's going to piss people off, especially that James Harden has now done it twice where he's skinny all of a sudden again, he feels great and he just duped everyone.

LeBron forcing his way onto Bronny's team will stunt Bronny's growth

Bronny Jr. is probably going to not even want that dude... if you see any of the draft projections or watch him play, it's like, he's good. He's not lottery pick good. But someone's going to spend a first round pick on him cause they can then get LeBron... there's a chance it could really suck for Bronny.

The 76ers are a legitimate title threat with the addition of James Harden

I still think [Ben Simmons] is talented... but yeah, I mean, if you put Ben Simmons with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, those guys are so fucking good. I still think, I saw it and I was like, Ooh, that's pretty good for both teams. I think the Sixers become a real, real threat now.

The Chicago Bulls are officially back

My cool throne is the Bulls because Bulls are back. They're the last undefeated team in the East. They are good.

Ben Simmons will face an all-time 'boo-fest' upon his return to Philadelphia

Ben Simmons has arrived in Philadelphia, took a COVID-19 test as required by NBA protocol... I love going to a good boo-fest. Going to the Sixers' first game, I might have to figure out, talk to Tick Pick and get out there. So perfect that it's Philly... Philly's going to roast him.

Cade Cunningham's veganism is a major red flag for his NBA durability

I am concerned with Cade Cunningham though... it's because he's vegan. If you're a vegan going into the NBA, Jalen Green's 180 pounds, he will probably be able to put on another like 20. And Cade Cunningham's probably gonna lose weight over the course of his career. You can't trust a man made of the plant proteins. That's his durability and his mentality.

Jay Crowder shooting over 50% from three is the tipping point for the Suns' offense

I would like to see the statistical breakdown of Jay Crowder's performance as it relates to how likely the Suns are to win. Like, if he shoots over 50% from three... That's the tipping point for the Suns' offense because you have a chance of beating them if the role players don't contribute like that. But if they do, you have no chance.

Brooke Lopez is a dominant 'system center' for the Bucks

Brooke Lopez dropped 33 tonight. 15 of 18. Brooke Lopez. Absolutely dominant is [Giannis] a system center. I don't know if people are saying, but yeah, that's how that's how bad that is.

The Bucks will win the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games if Trae Young remains out

I do think that if Trae Young doesn't come back in the series, I think the [Bucks] will probably win the series. And seven, I'm gonna say seven. So the Hawks will win another game, but it's just a bummer.

Chris Paul was selfish for rushing back too fast from COVID protocols

I think Chris Paul was selfish tonight, Big Cat, in that he rushed himself back too fast. He did. And he needed to wait. Chris Paul needed to wait a little bit longer, come back. He was not the Chris Paul that we know.

DeAndre Ayton is officially an elite player alongside Luka Doncic and Trey Young

DeAndre Ayton... He's a fucking beast, man. He's like DeAndre Ayton showing up to the whole Trey Young, Luka Doncic, that draft ruled discussion being like, I rule too. I'm awesome on defense and offense.

If the Sixers lose the series in six games, the franchise should consider blowing up 'The Process'

Right now, if the Sixers lose this series in six, hope is gone. Hope is out the window. I would be firing up the trade machine and seeing how many picks you can get for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to just restart the process.

You can't beat the Lakers if Anthony Davis is hitting three-pointers

Anthony Davis, if he doesn't make all those three-pointers, it's a much different game. You can't beat the Lakers if Anthony Davis is wet from three.

The Wizards are a regular season team not built for the play-ins

The Wizards are not built for the play-ins, the regular season team. But we do get another game of play-in basketball in Washington.

LeBron James will hobble into the playoffs then start dropping triple-doubles on everyone

I think LeBron's going to be like Willy Wonka coming to the gate. Like, he's just hobbling, hobbling, hobbling, does a tumble, and now he's just dropping triple-doubles in everyone's face. Like, I think he's going to be fine.

The Chicago Bulls are finally building a winning culture by trading for Nikola Vucevic

The Bulls basically took the entire Garpax regime and threw it in the trash can today, which was awesome. Vucevic coming to Chicago... I'm sick of missing the playoffs and getting the seventh pick and getting a guy that we have to wait on and hope is good. If you want to eventually be a team that can win in the playoffs, you have to make the playoffs. You have to have a culture of hey, we're trying to compete.

Kyrie Irving is never coming back to this planet

What makes you think Kyrie Irving is ever going to come back to this planet?... [He has] gotten farther and farther off the reservation. And it just never happened. And he's gotten farther and farther off the reservation.

James Harden's production is inflated by about 25% due to the Rockets' system

I also think Houston's style is almost like the best Instagram filter... where when you go play in Houston's system when it's Harden... you're 25% better... it's very clear, at least to me, and I don't know why more people don't say this, that you almost have to shave off like 25% of it [Harden's production].

Kyrie Irving might not want James Harden on the Brooklyn Nets

I'm wondering if Kyrie is signing off on this. Because you would – I mean, look, I can never forget trying to figure out Kyrie, but I could actually see him not loving it at all because now all of a sudden he's going to be off the ball a lot more.

The Bulls are back after hiring Billy Donovan

Your Chicago Bulls have just hired former Oklahoma City Thunder and Florida head coach Billy Donovan as their head coach... my darling Jake you have that Bulls are back.

The Lakers will lose every Game 1 and then gentleman sweep their way to a title

I have a prediction... I think the Lakers might go through the entire playoffs losing the first game and then gentleman sweeping. We got a bet on them against the Clippers game one.

Paul George is a pathetic second banana who stinks in the playoffs

playoff P play. Off PP. Holy shit. That guy stinks. I don't understand how you can be like considered... one of the... you would say that playoff p is at the top of the list for second bananas and then the playoffs come around and it's like dude have you played basketball before... Paul George just pathetic.

The Milwaukee Bucks stink

Hank was magic earned their pins cake. I want to give you credit and for saying the buck being the first to be the Bucks stink guy. Thank you. That was your call because you were right on that.

LeBron James plays significantly worse on Tuesdays since starting the 'Taco Tuesday' era

He did a statistical analysis of every single LeBron James game played on a Tuesday night... he found out that pre Taco Tuesday he had win percentage that was 4% higher than normal... in the taco Tuesday era. It's minus 2 percent. So he's doing statistically way way worse trouble go on Tuesday nights because he's eating so many tacos.

The primary issue for NBA players in the Orlando bubble will be the lack of sex and groupies.

What's going to end up happening in my mind is... the big news today in the NBA as we finally have the elephant that's been in the room the whole time. Stephen A. Smith addresses it head-on and says it's going to be an issue with how horny everyone's getting trying to get out of the bubble to hook up... I was saying the real problem is we don't know the groupie situation.

Mark Jackson deserves more credit than Steve Kerr for the Warriors dynasty

Mark Jackson built that coach over there. Mark Jackson is on record calling the Splash Brothers the Splash Brothers. He's on record talking noise saying 'I got the best two shooters in the world.' Steve Kerr just happened to see the stroke go right.

Old school NBA coaches are becoming extinct

It's a different type of it's not like old school no more. Like these old school coaches are coming extinct. It's a player's league. You got to have coaches that's going to understand the players... I almost think that Gregg Popovich's time is almost, you know, he's done a great job, but maybe it's time for new change.

The Clippers got much better by adding Marcus Morris

I actually do think that the Clippers got a lot better. Oh, yeah. ... Marcus Morris, which is going to be awesome when they go up against LeBron. I feel like he's one of those guys in the league who... there's no LeBron stopper, but he's one of the guys who can make him annoyed. He wants to annoy LeBron to no end.

LeBron James is using his name to help the Knicks front office as leverage for his son's future

Rich Paul being the president of the Knicks... LeBron James being like hey use my name to get my son drafted... This is LeBron James being like hey use my name to get my son drafted... LeBron James never plays for the Knicks. No, absolutely no no chance in hell.

The Lakers and Celtics will meet in the NBA Finals

I think it's going to be Lakers-Celtics in the championship.

55 out of 58 NBA referees were gambling in violation of their contracts

Then [David Stern] did an investigation and found out 55 out of 58 NBA referees were gambling, going to casinos, betting on football, betting on golf, couldn't fire everybody, and immediately started to backtrack that whole thing.

LeBron James' dunking in layup lines is hurting his son's team by risking technical fouls

We just kind of thought it was a little awkward that he was dunking in a layup line and that technically is a technical foul if we want to go by the letter of the rules so he's hurting his son's team by assessing a technical foul before the game even starts.

The Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul trade was a win-win

The Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook trade, I actually think both teams won. Not won a championship, but I think both teams got something. Like, the Rockets finally have good chemistry again and the Thunder... I actually think they won't be – they'll make the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden will fight over having only one ball in Houston.

There's only one ball, and I'm excited for Russell Westbrook and James Harden to fight over that ball.

Adam Silver's public 'discussion' of fan ideas is just a brilliant PR move to appease Reddit

Adam Silver is a genius because he just basically goes on NBA Reddit, reads the most upvoted idea for how to fix the NBA, and then says, we're going to discuss it in this offseason, and maybe we'll make some changes.

I actually like the Bulls roster because everyone fits together

the bulls actually did something i agree with baby jordan a point guard yes another north carolina guy they've drafted a point guard when they needed a point guard the bulls roster i actually like it because everyone fits

The Raptors are the first team that can actually be called 'World Champions' because they are Canadian

I think we can actually say world champions for the first time because they are Canadian. They have stolen our trophy.

Dynasties end with a whimper, and the Warriors are currently in that stage

Whenever a dynasty ends, you just sit there being like... Oh, they're going to turn it on. It's going to happen. And it just doesn't. History shows that it's probably more likely the Raptors will finish them off on Monday night.

Kevin Durant is going to be out for the entire NBA Finals

I don't think that [Kevin Durant] is going to play. I think he's out for the whole series.

The Raptors can beat the Warriors by physically roughing up Steph Curry

Concussing Steph Curry is the best way to beat the Warriors, I think. Just choke him out. The Warriors should be smart and just roll Boogie out there. I don't care if he's hurt or injured or whatever. Let him go out there on crutches and just have him beat the fuck out of him.

The take that the Warriors are better without Kevin Durant is starting to look true

The kernel, the little fucking seed that got planted a few weeks ago, has now become a full tree, a take tree. Are the Warriors better without Kevin Durant? It is a full-blown take tree. It's the tree that's dropping shit on your car now because you can't go anywhere without seeing this take. And it's starting to look kind of true.

The Warriors will beat the Trail Blazers in five games

I'm going to say the Warriors in five. Warriors in five. I'm going to get the Blazers, too. We're a big Portland podcast. We love the city.

Kevin Durant will sit out the Western Conference Finals to save himself for a potential NBA Finals matchup against the Bucks.

In which case, I think [Kevin Durant] would probably sit out and save himself for the finals against the Bucks. Something to be on the lookout for.