Takes

The Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rivalry is awkward because Clark is much better at basketball

Caitlyn Clark is so much better than Angel Reese at basketball that it's not, it doesn't feel fair. I actually feel bad for Angel Reese at this point. She wants a rivalry and she has history with Kaitlyn Clark, but it's nowhere near equal footing in terms of play... Kaitlyn Clark needs a different rival because this one is just not fair.

Jalen Brunson is already a top-five New York Nick of all time

I think Jalen Brunson is already a top five Nick. I think it's the list now is Patrick Ewing, Willis Reed and Walt Frazier and then it's like, yeah, Earl Pearl and then like Mellow is somewhere in there. I think he's a top five nick of all time in the three years that he's been there.

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.

I'm leaning towards the Boston Celtics needing a rebuild

I trust Brad Stevens with my life, but I'm leaning towards rebuild ish. Probably. Someone needs to figure out how we can keep Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum and still have good enough players around them to compete. It doesn't, not a tax guy at all. It doesn't look, I can't wrap my head around it yet.

Luke Cornett is currently a better option for the Celtics than Kristaps Porzingis

Luke Cornett, like, I actually think that whatever Kristaps has, Luke Cornett is a better option than Kristaps right now. And Joe Mazzulla obviously agrees 'cause the second half he sat Kristaps.

Steph Curry is the West Coast version of Joel Embiid in the playoffs

Some are saying that Steph Curry is the West coast version of Joel Embiid in the playoffs.

Anthony Edwards will score 50 points in a game during the Western Conference Finals

I'm gonna say it right now. 50 Burger coming for Anthony Edwards in this series [WCF]. Feels I'm excited.

Luka Doncic will come back in elite shape next season due to the conditioning criticism

I think you're gonna see a different Luka. I do. I think you're gonna see Luka... I think he comes back in elite shape next year.

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.

The NBA Draft Lottery is rigged despite the league's attempts to prove otherwise

I think the media is now welcome at the draft lottery because he used to see it behind the scenes... he was laying it on thick. He was doing a lot of unrigable talk... if it was rigged, this is exactly how they would've rigged it. Exactly how they'd rig it. Exactly... you can pick and choose Max... that shit's fucking rigged and I fucking hate it and there should be an investigation.

LeBron James will opt out of his contract and finish his career in Cleveland

I'll say this PFT, LeBron, he's gonna opt out. He's gonna opt out. Could he, could he end his career in Cleveland? Could he fix everything? Well, no, he, he might opt out to take less money, but that would be fun if he did the opt out And we had like a day or two of being like, calves coming home one last time.

The Celtics can still win the NBA Championship even without Jayson Tatum

We have a bunch of champions on this team. We still have the Eastern Conference finals MVP, we have the finals MVP we ready to go... I still think we could win the championship, but that's where I'm at is, is just make it as far along in the season as we can because once the off season comes, a lot of things are gonna change.

The Mavericks will trade the #1 pick for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Giannis thing is interesting because Giannis did say that he wants to play in a state with no income tax reportedly. And would that, I I think they, the Bucks would absolutely do that trade right? Yeah, in a heartbeat... if you're the Bucks and you're like, Hey, we're not gonna win with Giannis, but we can get Cooper Flagg and reset everything. And the Mavs would be an immediate with Giannis.

The Celtics will defeat the Knicks in six games

I feel good. I'm happy. I said I wouldn't be worried if they went down oh two. They came, they came out, they showed what they needed to do. I feel like that's gonna be, they're gonna win this series in six.

Madison Square Garden is the most overrated venue in sports

The garden is the most overrated venue in sports.

Jayson Tatum is not a superstar

Jason Tatum is not a superstar... He didn't play on the Olympic team. He didn't play.

There are only four true superstars in the NBA: Jokic, Giannis, Luka, and the aging veterans

I have like four superstars in the whole league... so it's Jokic, it's Giannis, it's Luka, and then it's, there's like the aging group of superstars that's like Steph, LeBron, KD. It's not much. I don't go Superstar to me is if you said their name like to your mom or someone on the street, they would immediately be like, yeah, of course I know who that is.

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. Right.

LeBron James should take significantly less money to win another championship ring

If it were me, I would say I will take significantly less, as less as it helps basically to make sure that we get other people in here who can help us win. Because here's the thing, you can't buy a championship ring after you retire all that money... He's not gonna feel any difference in his life.

The Nuggets will win the series against the Thunder

I think it's correct score. You think so? I think it's two Two... 'cause I think it's, they, the way the Nuggets have won their two games has been very like we're a team that knows how to do this whereas the thunder cannot... championship DNA deserves two wins in this game.

The Celtics will win the NBA Championship

Before the season I picked the Boston Celtics. With the Boston Celtics down two to one in this series, I still pick the Boston Celtics... they're the best complete team and they just won last year.

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.

Steph Curry will try to return to the playoffs sooner than he should

I think that Steph is actually gonna come back sooner that we think that he is. I wouldn't be shocked if he tried to play in their next game because he knows... this feels like the last dance type thing that we're trying to do right now. I think he's gonna try to come back maybe too soon.

The Celtics will still win their series against the Knicks easily

I do think the Celtics are gonna win this series easily... 4-2 is pretty easy. When you're looking back on the history books, 4-2 is pretty easy. That's easily.

Nikola Jokic is the worst three-time MVP in the last 40 years

If he wins the next one, he'll be the worst three time MVP in the last 40 years. Right. Because it was like... those five were in that timeframe as Magic, Bird, Jordan, LeBron, and Jokic at that time. He's gonna rank fifth.

Luka Doncic will be the MVP next year if he loses 30 pounds

If Luka can get down to about 230, 225, I I, I really believe he's gonna be MVP next year.

Jayson Tatum has officially replaced Joel Embiid as the worst playoff superstar in the Eastern Conference

I guess that a super embarrassing that Jason Tatum has now taken the crown of the worst playoff performer in the Eastern Conference... Joel Embiid for a long time was known as the worst Eastern Conference superstar to play in the playoffs. And Jason Tatum simply has worst playoff stats than Joel Embiid. And that's a fact.

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.

If Steph Curry wins FMVP with a torn hamstring, he is ahead of LeBron James

If Steph Curry wins NBA finals, MVP by the way, with a, a torn hamstring. He has a, a torn hamstring I think... You gotta put him ahead of LeBron.

The Knicks have 1986 Mets magic to beat Boston

Very reminiscent of the 86 Mets. And how they, and how they beat the Boston Red Sox. It really is reminiscent of that. A New York team just rising from the ashes, like a phoenix to destroy Austin sports. It is, it was so much fun.

Celtics in five

I'm not worried about the series at all. I'm not worried about the, the strategy or the team or anything. Like, there's only so much you can do when you miss [45 threes]. Celtics in five.

Nikola Jokic is the best player playing basketball in the world

Nicole 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 off with him and SGA who also was very good with 33, 10 and eight.

Jokic is the most skilled big man we have ever seen

He's the most skilled player in the world. He does everything at a very high level... the best floater in the league, but he is also an incredible jump shooter. And that's not even a strength. So long story short, he's just the most skilled big man we've ever seen.

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.

NBA Finals prediction: Celtics vs. Thunder

I'm sticking with the Boston Celtics, Bing bong hanky. I still support the Celtics and you know, I'm sticking with the with the thunder and I'm a little bit nervous today. I think Boston has a much easier path to the finals than OKC.

The Timberwolves will win their series against the Warriors

I have the Timberwolves winning this series simply because like the offensive depth is isn't isn't a good enough to outscore the Timberwolves, but I also don't think they'll be able to play Go bear off the court like that. Yeah. Okay. All right. So yeah, I guess my pick would then be the Timberwolves.

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].

James Harden stops playing in big games because he simply doesn't want to work anymore

I don't think it's necessarily even an insult to say that to him. Because I, I actually believe that James Harden is like, I don't wanna work anymore. I'm, I'm gonna get paid essentially the same if I, if I get eliminated now or if I get eliminated in two weeks... He doesn't really have any upside besides the glory of winning, which I don't think he necessarily cares that much about.

The NBA's scheduling makes Game 1 an automatic loss for teams coming off a Game 7

Why are the nuggets playing on Tuesday night... that's the most auto loss I've ever seen on a schedule ever... the nuggets in Game one and the Warriors in Game one, it feels like they're just going in to to die. Yeah. They just played a seven game series. Both a little bit older teams and they have 48 hours to turn around.

I wouldn't be worried about the Knicks even if the Celtics go down 0-2

Not worried about the Knicks. Even if we lose, I'll say it right now. If somehow we lose game one, we could lose two games and I wouldn't be worried. [Down 0-2?] Still not worried. I'll say it.

LeBron James only releases post-elimination injury reports to build a protective narrative for his legacy

With LeBron it's interesting because the, the whole like you know, build, building in your narrative. Your excuse after the fact. It's something he's done a couple times... but he always has to remind us that he's injured always. And to not play a hypothetical game, it was just so extra to be like, if game six had happened tonight, yeah. He would not be playing.

I'm excited for the Celtics to beat the Knicks because New York fans never win anything and are too loud

New York fans are the loudest fans and never win anything and it's just fun to shut 'em up. I'm excited to beat New York.

The Detroit Pistons have a very bright future because of Cade Cunningham

The Pistons have a very bright future because Cade Cunningham stepped up, stepped up like that level playoff series, young team getting their first taste of it. It sucks to hear, but the Pistons have a very bright future.

The Celtics will sweep the Knicks

I think it's a sweep. I think you guys [Celtics] got 'em. Sweep, easy.

Anthony Edwards is the new face of the league if he wins a title

He is, he's the face of the league if he can win a title and the Timberwolves are just a really good team all around.

Mavs GM Nico Harrison was right about Luka Doncic being out of shape and a defensive liability

Nico Harrison's a fuckhead. But was he kind of right? Everything that Nico Harrison was standing on—Luca being outta shape, defensive liability—did kind of come into play in this game. I still would rather have Luca on my team. But it was for one night, Nico Harrison went to sleep happy.

LeBron James will not retire silently; he will have a massive farewell tour

LeBron James is not going to retire outta the blue and just walk off the court and that'll be it. He is going to have the retirement tour. Yep. He's going to go across the country and there's gonna be like a documentary crew that follows him everywhere.

LeBron James should opt out and take a pay cut to help the Lakers build a better roster

He could opt out and then take less. He can opt out and then willingly take a pay cut and say, I would like to get paid 35, $40 million next year. Which would be smart. Use that money to get a center, fill the roster around, get someone over seven feet.

Jokic and Kawhi will both have massive games in Game 7 of the Nuggets-Clippers series

I think both those guys are gonna be incredible superstars. I really do. Because Jokic always gets his stats and Kawhi has had a good series, but I think this is one of those games where we're gonna look up and it's gonna be, Jokic is gonna have 34, 18 and 11 and Kawhi is gonna have 39 points on like 85% shooting. That's my prediction.