Takes

Klay Thompson is actually the most important piece of the Warriors

I'm talking myself into the take that Klay Thompson is actually the most important piece of that Warriors team. Clay will come in and he'll shoot like seven for 10.

Draymond Green should be the NBA Finals MVP

I'm going to make the early pitch for Draymond to get finals MVP because he had 17, 10, and 9... He's everything for their team.

The Milwaukee Bucks were lucky to play the Pistons in the first round

Milwaukee's lucky. We played him four times in the regular season, lost all four. But, like, I guarantee you if we play a ninth [game].

I will call Kevin Durant a 'baby back bitch' to his face

How do you think it's going to go when I call him a baby back bitch to his face? I think we have to. I don't think there's a choice.

The Warriors will most likely win the rest of the NBA Finals

The Raptors win game one... and the Warriors now have to say, ooh, hopefully Kevin Durant will come back, or most likely they'll just become the Warriors again and probably win the rest of the season.

The NBA Finals between the Raptors and Warriors will go at least six games

I'm just excited that it's going to at least go five. And we at least push that bet, Hank, of how many more NBA games are there going to be. I think it will go six at least.

We would easily beat the Warriors if we started the 4th quarter with a 100-point lead

No, easy. We win by 30 [if we had a 100-point lead against the Golden State Warriors at the start of the fourth quarter].

We would still lose to the Warriors even with a 100-point lead in the 4th quarter

I think we would still lose and it would be like hilarious how bad we would look because I don't think we'd get the ball in half the time.

I am stronger than Steph Curry and could box him out

I actually do think I'm stronger than Steph Curry... I could box Steph Curry out... I got a much bigger ass. My ass is... Steph does not know how to handle an ass.

Doug Gottlieb is classless for blaming RJ Hampton's parents for his decision to play in New Zealand

To call out his parents is like such a weird fucking move, dude. Just a weird, weird move... it's a crazy move to call an 18-year-old a douchebag for wanting to make a decision for himself.

The Lakers are in a classic rats-on-a-sinking-ship scenario

What this tells me is that this is a classic rats on a sinking ship scenario with the Lakers. Because you're right. Nobody was spared. Everybody got a little taste of some vengeance from somebody else. So everyone inside that front office is talking.

My goal was never to play college basketball; I just wanted to be a pro

Ultimately, my dream was never to play college basketball. That was not my main goal. My main goal was always to play in the NBA.

Kawhi Leonard probably won't stay in Toronto after this season

Kawhi probably will not stay in Toronto. But I love when teams go all in on a trade and they're like, fuck it. We're going to go all in. We're going to put all of our chips in the middle here.

I want Steph Curry to not win the Finals MVP just to keep that narrative alive

In order of things I want to happen, I want Steph [Curry] to not win the MVP no matter what just so that we can keep that narrative going. It's got to go to somebody crazy.

Kawhi Leonard is gone from Toronto no matter what happens in the Finals

I think he's gone no matter what. I think he's made up his mind already no matter what. There could be a world where he's like, I really love it in Toronto, but losing or winning the finals won't change that.

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 speed at which a city's NFL players chug beer is directly correlated to the success of their local NBA/NHL teams

I said at the start of the playoffs, I was like, the speed in which your football players chug beers is directly correlated to your basketball team's success in the playoffs. And we've seen it time and again in the NHL, in the NBA. And guess what? [Aaron] Rodgers absolutely cursed [the Bucks].

Kawhi Leonard is such an efficient, robotic player that you don't even realize he has 35 points until the game is over

Kawhi [Leonard] is the fucking guy who... You can just watch a game and not realize that he's got 35 points. You know what I mean? Because it's so efficient and it's so robotic and steady throughout where it just happens.

The Warriors will win the 2019 NBA Finals in five games

I think the Warriors sweeper going five.

Jrue Holiday is arguably the best defensive guard in the NBA

Drew [Jrue] Holiday... Drew might be known as maybe as the best defensive guard in the NBA. I'm glad you're on. No, I agree with that. Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. Shut down Lillard in the playoffs last year.

Drake is the worst for rubbing the coach's shoulders on the sideline

Drake is the worst. He is the star of the show up in Canada. So he was rubbing Nick Nurse's shoulders, giving him a little massage on the sidelines. You know what, Drake? You're from Canada. You should know better. It's like the Stanley Cup. You don't touch your coach's shoulders during a game until you win the title.

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.

Steph Curry can be more of himself when the offense runs through him instead of Kevin Durant

Steph Curry, the Warriors are not better without Kevin Durant because a superstar gives you more flexibility and injuries and all that shit. But Steph Curry is certainly better and can be more Steph Curry without Kevin Durant. When the offense runs through him and basically he shoots the lights out and he gets into these rhythms that you can't stop him.

Magic Johnson is a master of the media and spinning narratives

Can we just for a second note that Magic Johnson is a master of the media? Like, I know he's been getting dragged for a lot of things... but the guy can spin any spin zone. He went on First Take. He basically gets Stephen A. Smith on his side all like two hours before Rob Pelinka has to announce Frank Vogel as the new head coach and basically bringing up the fact that Frank Vogel was their sixth option. So Magic Johnson, hats off to you.

The Warriors are more fun to watch without Kevin Durant

The question now is, are the Warriors better without Kevin Durant? I think what you're seeing is they're more fun to watch without Kevin Durant. They are absolutely more fun to watch. They play a more interesting brand of basketball. Steph Curry is allowed to be Steph Curry.

I could beat Kevin Durant one-on-one right now because of his injury

Right now, I could probably beat him [Kevin Durant] one-on-one. I could absolutely beat Kevin Durant one-on-one right now.

Seth Curry is a better pure shooter than Steph Curry

Seth Curry is the better pure shooter than Steph Curry... Steph has to create his own shot. Seth is much better off the pick... Seth is better away from the ball.

The Warriors are Draymond Green's team

The Warriors are a lot of fun to watch right now and I'm gonna say it it's Draymond's team... He had 16, 10, and 7 was everywhere. He is the heartbeat of the Warriors. He unlocks Steph Curry to score 37 points.

The Warriors vs. Blazers Western Conference Finals series is already over

This series is O-V-E-R. Over. Sorry, Blazers.

I do not count my 2017 NBA Championship as earned

To be honest with you, I really don't count that championship... I got hurt going into the playoffs... and I'm always someone that like, I've never been given anything. So to me, I always wanted to earn it. And I felt like because I wasn't out there, you know, on the court with my guys sweating and fighting that it was kind of really just it was given to me.

My best NBA games were played while high

My best games in the NBA were high... After [shootaround] I would go home, I'd smoke a joint, then I would take a nap. And then I'd wake up, shower, eat, and bounce... It was probably within four or five hours of the game possibly.

Kevin Durant will leave the Warriors because it's always 'Steph Curry's team'

I just think if there was anything that kind of maybe – maybe not – I wouldn't even say bother him, but just kind of I want to do it on my own type situation... they win three in a row. They win four. They win five. This is Steph Curry's team, and, you know, they were fortunate enough to get KD.

Baron Davis would be one of the all-time greats if he had stayed healthy

Best all-around point guard I ever played with, Baron Davis. When he's healthy, no question. If Baron Davis would have had a healthy career, he'd be talked about as one of the greats. There's no question about that.

Kevin Durant is the best player in the world

Kevin Durant to me is the best player in the world right now and will probably go down as one of the most efficient, effective offensive players we've ever seen.

Tanking is officially dead in the NBA

The NBA draft lottery... Tanking is over. Turns out Nate Silver is full of shit. Pelicans had the ninth best odds, they get the number one pick. Grizzlies had the eighth best odds, they get the two pick. The Knicks had the first best odds, they get the three pick. And the Lakers had the 11th best odds, they get the four pick. Tanking is over.

Kevin Durant is 100% going to the New York Knicks

PFT, they are going to find out because Kevin Durant, according to sources, is 100% going to the New York Knicks. My source is someone who DMed Colin Cowherd.

The Warriors-Trail Blazers series will go five games

The Warriors are currently, there's two minutes left in the game, and they're going to beat the Trailblazers by like 15... So this series is going to go five, like I said.

Kawhi Leonard is a killer

Kawhi Leonard is a motherfuckin' killer. He is. He's a killer.

Brett Brown is not the right coach for the 76ers

I don't think Brett Brown is the guy because, like I said, three shot clock violations. I think one of them might have been a block on Jimmy Butler... He did a good job with a young team bringing him along. But when you lose like they did last year and then lose this year, I feel like you have to change at least something.

The mid-range jump shot still has a place in the modern NBA

Turns out Manalytics going one-on-one with a guy and hitting a step-back 14-footer still has a place in this game... The nerds, though, have been put on their heels a little bit. They're updating their stat sheets, their spreadsheets, saying, well, actually, that was actually a great shot.

Damian Lillard has a 'winner's face'

He's got a winner's chin. Have you ever seen that thing? If I'm doing the old school facial recognition, like this guy's a winner, this guy's not, Damian Lillard, he's got a winner's face.

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.

The 'Melo Curse' is a real phenomenon where teams fail after trading Carmelo Anthony

If USA Basketball doesn't win the next gold, I'm officially saying Melo is the best cursor of all time... Syracuse hasn't won a championship since Melo got traded. Boom. Done. Whenever he leaves your team, you don't do anything.

James Harden definitively lacks the clutch gene

Now we finally have a guy who we can say lacks the clutch gene. Definitively. He and Chris Paul. No clutch gene between the two of them.

I would want Robert Horry taking a last-second shot over Kobe Bryant

[Big Cat asks: Who would you rather have taking that last shot?] Robert. Robert, yeah, Big Shot Bob. Big Shot Bob. There was never any doubt at the end of the game. He could have three points that game, and he had the ball, he was going to make it.

Jason Kidd is a bad coach

I don't understand what the Lakers are doing. Their obsession with Jason Kidd is very bizarre. Jason Kidd is a bad coach. He's a bad coach.

Frank Vogel was hired by the Lakers specifically to be fired

Actually, it won't be interesting to see what happens with Frank Vogel. Frank Vogel is like – he got hired to get fired. Essentially. How long until Jason Kidd is the one that's drawing up plays on the sidelines?

The Warriors winning the Rockets series without Kevin Durant will be viewed as an indictment of Kevin Durant's impact.

If the Warriors win this series, it will be an indictment on Kevin Durant by everyone else. Are the Warriors better without Kevin Durant? People are going to ask that. I'm already asking it.

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.

James Harden has consistently disappeared in the fourth quarters of the 2019 playoffs.

James Harden on Wednesday night with 10:47 left, he hits a bucket. He shot one more shot until there's 18 seconds left in the game... He shot one shot in that entire fourth quarter... That's two straight fourth quarters where James Harden, Jimmy Harden has kind of been nowhere to be seen.