Takes

James Harden will start the season on the Sixers and get traded around Christmas

I think it's gonna be a Kevin Durant kind of situation where he might get traded later in the season. But I don't think anyone's gonna offer what Daryl Morey wants for this year for the Sixers... I think eventually Morey's gonna get something out of it, but I think it's gonna probably be in like, by like around Christmas time.

Every NBA team needs one 'irrationally confident stupid guy' to win

And you also, every single team needs one like irrationally confident stupid guy who thinks that they can stop LeBron in a seven game series. That's not a bad thing to happen. No. Like you want one of those guys, you don't want a whole team of those guys, but you need one of those guys who thinks they're the best player in the world.

I will officially declare Damian Lillard a 'turncoat with no loyalty' the moment he is traded

The only, the only comment I have is when [Lillard] does end up getting traded, I'm just gonna be like, what a turncoat. No loyalty. And just do that and just go, go on that angle. So I I'm I'm just out on the entire storyline as it stands.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the perfect fit for the Heat culture

Jaime Jaquez to the Heat, like perfect Heat culture. He's going to have a series probably next NBA playoffs where he somehow averages like 25 points a game out of nowhere... he is the perfect Heat culture guy and he will be a very good player in the NBA because he got drafted by the Heat.

Brandon Miller is a genius for claiming Paul George is his GOAT so he wouldn't offend Michael Jordan

I think Brandon Miller is kind of a genius. They interviewed him the other day and he said that his GOAT, his favorite player in NBA history is Paul George. That to me tells me he's thinking two steps ahead because he knew that Charlotte wanted to draft him... He knew that he could not say that it was LeBron James because Michael Jordan is still very much involved in the draft process for Charlotte.

The Grizzlies will be the toughest team in the league with Marcus Smart, Steven Adams, and Ja Morant

One thing I do know about the Grizzlies though is they're gonna have the top team not to be fucked with in terms of just beating the shit outta you. They got Marcus Smart, they got Steven Adams and they have Ja Morant who will shoot you on the same team.

Jordan Poole will average 35 points a game for the Wizards while they win zero games

Getting Jordan Poole on your team to be the man and like, 'Hey Jordan Poole, we're giving you the keys to the car.' These Wizards are gonna go as far as Jordan Poole will take them and Jordan Poole's gonna average 35 points a game and they're gonna win like zero games next year. It's gonna be beautifully bad basketball to watch.

I would not play for the Wizards for $5 million a year

Honestly, would you play for the Wizards if it was 5 million a year? ... I would not. In five years' time, I would love to play for the Wizards, but right now I'm declining. I would rather take the buyout.

Only Jokic, Luka, and Giannis are untradeable for the Wembanyama pick

Jokic, you'd hang up. Luka, you'd hang up. Giannis, you'd hang up. Embiid, you'd trade him. Tatum probably [trade him]. Booker... the list is probably like three guys. ... Normally I'd go, well wait, I don't wanna trade a guy who I know has already done it for somebody that I've never seen actually do it. But that's how special Victor is.

Wembanyama is not as good a prospect as LeBron was because of injury risk

Anybody who says [Wembanyama] is the best, like he's better than LeBron as a prospect, I would completely disagree just because LeBron body-wise was NBA ready. ... He's going to get hurt. It would be shocking if he doesn't have somebody roll into his legs at some point. ... I just don't think the human body is supposed to move like a created player in an NBA video game.

Scoot Henderson is the 'dog' version of Chris Paul

I know you guys are gonna love my Scoot Chris Paul comp. Because, you know, we're talking about all first team all dog guys. ... Scoot was like one of the few guys that was like, I'm gonna go at [Wembanyama]. Like he had that mentality and it worked a few times.

Cam Whitmore is the #1 'dog' in the draft class

Cam Whitmore is definitely on that list. Maybe number one overall the Villanova freshman. Watching him play is like every time he gets the ball he is going left and he beats everybody every single time. ... He went hit him so strong. ... This guy's at level 11 energy this early into the game.

Brandon Miller's involvement in the Alabama shooting won't affect his draft stock

I think there's concern up until they watch the tape, you know, to be realistic about it. ... I just haven't heard anybody say because not that many teams are even in the mix. ... I think we all know with sports... it felt like it kind of went away a little bit too. ... His shot making at that size and what you think you'd be able to do defensively... he's exactly what you want in today's NBA.

Chris Paul is going to win a championship with the Washington Wizards.

I don't think that this is a buyout situation. I think that Chris Paul's gonna win a championship in DC.

Ja Morant flashes guns on Instagram Live as a safety precaution to deter potential threats.

I kind of get why he's flashing a gun on Instagram live. Because his location is revealed. He wants anyone watching his Instagram live to know that he's strapped. It's a safety thing.

Nikola Jokic isn't 'trying' to not care; he's just being an honest guy who wants to see his horses

I don't think Jokic is doing, he's just being himself. It's not like he's going online being like, Ooh, am I getting points for not caring. Like he's just being an honest guy. The guy wants to see his horses. He's not doing this for some payoff where it's like he's gonna gain some points.

The Denver Nuggets are going to be a dynasty

I think the Nuggets are going Dynasty. I thought the first who'd they play first? Timberwolves... these guys are gonna win the entire thing. And not only that, they're, no one's gonna even come close to him. I don't think anyone's gonna come close.

Nikola Jokic is the greatest value pick in NBA history

Jokic I think now goes down is the best value pick in NBA history without a doubt... he's a better value than all these [Steve Nash, Giannis] because he went 41st overall in the draft.

Michael Jordan was a better value pick at number three than Jokic was at 41

I still think Michael Jordan not being picked first overall and what he did becoming the best player of all time. That's a better value pick at three.

The era of the NBA super team is officially dead

it's the official death of super teams as well. We declare that because... homegrown super teams don't play anymore. We had a decade of super teams. It's over.

The Denver Nuggets will beat the Miami Heat by 17 points in Game 5

Nuggets by 17. Oh Lopping. It's a whopping nugs And five Nuggets by 17.

The Denver Nuggets winning the 2023 NBA Finals is the start of a dynasty

This is the start of the dynasty. This is, this is merely, but the first chapter that we're writing with Nuggets. If, you don't get three titles then. It's a failure.

Heat culture is dead

Today is Friday, June 9th and heat culture is dead.

The Nuggets will win the NBA Finals in five games

Nugs in five. Nugs in five, I stand by it. That was a nice game that they had the other night. But there's just too much.

The Nuggets will be a dynasty and should win at least three NBA championships

I think that this nuggets team should win three championships. I think, I think this should be a dynasty... it will be a disappointment to me if the nuggets win fewer than three NBA championships.

Ja Morant is weaning himself off guns like a nicotine patch

Ja Morant who his camp is now alleging that it's a toy gun. So if it were a toy gun credit's a Ja because he basically like, it's like a nicotine patch. He's weaning himself off guns.

The NBA Finals will be tied 2-2 by the weekend

Right when you think you got it figured out, the heat will put you right on your backside. So my guess is that we'll be 2-2 by the weekend, but that's just a guess.

Victor Wembanyama will be embarrassed by highlights at times because of his high center of gravity

He is very, very light. He's got a very high center of gravity. It's very easy to get him off balance. So he is going to get embarrassed at times. You know, there will be highlights where people will laugh at him and say, this guy can't play and then he is going to bust your ass.

Victor Wembanyama can defend the basket and the three-point line at the same time

He can defend the basket and the three point line at the same time. And I tell that to people and they go, you are out of your mind. Why would you even bother saying that? Because I'm telling you, I saw it. He'd be in the protecting the front of the rim. Kick it out to the corner and he would get out there in time to block it.

The Miami Heat will win the NBA Championship because of the Taylor Swift curse

Every NBA team that made it to the semi-finals this year has had a Taylor Swift Eras tour stop through their city, and they've all been eliminated. The Denver Nuggets had Taylor Swift perform there... The Miami Heat is the only team that has not had Taylor Swift perform in their city. So if you're a Swifty, you know that that means that Miami is going to win these championship.

Erik Spoelstra is the best coach in the NBA

The [Miami Heat] are a really fucking good team. And Spo is the best. Yeah. He is the best coach.

The Nuggets will win the NBA Finals in four games.

Welcome to Pardon My Take. Today is Friday, June 2nd and it's Nuggets in four.

The Celtics are a better team than the Nuggets and everyone else in the NBA.

The Celtics are probably the best team in the NBA if you really look at it position by position, player by player. You know, we ran into a Heat team that was getting frisky at the right time. But we're still a better team. We're a better team than [the] Nuggets. We're a better team than everyone.

Erik Spoelstra is the greatest NBA coach of all time if he wins titles without LeBron James.

I wouldn't hate it if [Spoelstra] ripped off five or six titles in the next 10 years because I absolutely would say that he's the greatest NBA coach of all time and that's why LeBron won those titles. So I am definitely a part of me that's a big Spo fan being like, go Spo go win a bunch of titles without LeBron and then I will say that you're the GOAT.

My $10,000 bet on the Heat and Panthers was an investment with a 10% ROI

It was a, it was an investment. Big get. It wasn't a bet. The mission was always to make 10% ROI on your investment. It had never happened before in the history of the nba. And there's a reason why I didn't do this. Bet if it was a six game series, you need seven games. You, you need that extra cushion there to win.

Jalen Brown does not know how to dribble

Jalen Brown does not know how to dribble. I don't know if that's something he's gonna learn. And then, I mean Jason Tatum obviously I think Jason Tatum probably smells the best coming out of this run... But where do you go and Marcus Smart? I don't know. Do you keep rolling out the same thing year after year?

The Celtics need to blow the team up

First is stop talking about that video because Celtics lost and it doesn't matter. First they, you gotta blow it up. You gotta blow it up. How many times can you get close? I mean, as a Celtics fan, I cannot stand watching this team get so close year after year and then falling short. It's bullshit.

The Heat are a legitimate scare for the Nuggets in the Finals

The heater just a fucking good basketball team all around and they've got guys that step up when their stars aren't playing well. And I am, I am a little bit afraid of the heat in the finals as an, as a longtime three year Nuggets fan. They scare me just because they got, they got some bullshit going on.

Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world

I agree. I think he is the best basketball player and I think he's proving it every single night... I think he's proving it every single night. And you know, I go back, my first summer in Denver was also Nicole's first summer... In Las Vegas for Summer league in that, not one point in time in Vegas did I say, Hey, we have a franchise player.

LeBron James and Nikola Jokic are incredibly similar players

I think LeBron James and Nicole Yoic are very, very similar. Hmm. And when and the eye test you say hell no. Like one's a great athlete freakish and the other guy can't jump over the Sunday newspaper. But you get away from that. Both those guys, their iq, their unselfishness, their ability to make everyone better and impact the game.

Joel Embiid doesn't have the fight or leadership to lead the Sixers to a title

I don't know at this point this might just me be me talking angry shit because they're, they lost. But I think maybe Embiid could go too at this point. I don't think he's, he might be a winner. Yeah, yeah. He's awesome. I mean he's an unbelievable talent and... I just don't think he's like a, he doesn't have that fight. Like you said, he won't put the, he can't lead that team.

Ja Morant is a modern-day Allen Iverson in every way

I'm almost thinking four Philly. The personality of Philly sports. I say a straight up for John Morant. Philly can handle a problematic like Alan iv. He's like Alan Iverson every way to me. Like the way he plays and his off, if there was social media when Alan Iverson was playing, he'd have flashed a gun. Oh for sure. He got caught with guns like all the time.

My bet on the Heat to win the series while up 3-0 was a 'sharp' bet despite the Celtics winning two games

It was a plus expected value on the bet, by the way... I was getting 10% return on investment. It should have been about 5% given the history of the NBA and three-nothing leads. So it was a sharp bet. I don't regret anything. I'm a process guy, not a results guy.

If the Celtics win Game 6 in Miami, Game 7 at home is a guaranteed win

Game six is definitely a tossup. But if you win Game six, game seven at home is ours.

Joe Mazzulla visiting a hospital before Game 5 is 'Gary V adjacent' and psycho behavior

He said watching a girl dying and smiling and enjoying her life, that's what it's really all about. So he gained some perspective. It's kind of some psycho shit, but I guess it's nice... it is Gary V adjacent what he's doing. He's just reminding, he's trying to force himself to work harder by looking at people who are dying.

The Celtics will absolutely not beat the Miami Heat in this series

I am so confident that the Celtics will not beat the heat in this series. It is actually kind of freaking me out how confident I am. ... This team is lifeless. This team hates each other... and they win one game and now we have a series. ... I think the pressure's still on the Celtics.

I bet $1,000 that LeBron James will definitely not retire this off-season

LeBron James does not retire. I bet $1,000 that LeBron James does not retire. Zero percent chance. Zero.

Joel Embiid is a 'loser' who lacks 'that dog in him'

Joel Embiid? ... Kind of a loser. ... To answer your question [Big Cat] Yes. That you, there's definitively guys who do have the dog in them and don't. ... It is pretty wild to think about [how many Kentucky players score 40 in the NBA and Calipari only won one title].

The Celtics will become the first team in NBA history to come back from down 3-0

They [the Celtics] just need to win two and if they win two, they're winning four. And everyone in this room knows this... It was exactly reminiscent of the Yankees and Red Sox game three. They lost like 19 to eight. Got absolutely blown out... They came back, they won. They shocked the world First team to ever do it. Why not us?

LeBron James is not actually retiring; he is just using the rumor to distract from being swept

Well, he's not gonna retire. That was classic LeBron to basically be like, oh, I got swept. Let me talk about retiring real quick so that the story then becomes LeBron might walk away instead of LeBron got swept.