Takes

Nikola Jokić is the NBA MVP because he dragged a depleted Nuggets team to the playoffs

Yokić, he got my MVP vote last night... because he dragged that team as far as you could against a really good Warriors team. I also Jokić leads the league in dudes who look like they've been fighting a cat at the end of a game.

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 Grizzlies and Timberwolves should play until football season starts because their series is so entertaining

I would like to see just the Grizzlies and the T-Wolves play until football season starts. We need a game seven. We need a game seven... because I don't think that would be the only game seven we get.

Ben Simmons' struggles in Philadelphia were a result of a lack of mental toughness and a generational shift in athletes

I just think it's a generational shift with some athletes, you know, the mental toughness aspect of it... Philly fans are probably the hardest fans to play in front of. You don't ever want to piss them off. Philly fans just want to see you working and just trying to be your best. So yeah, it was a tough situation.

The US Men's National Team will definitely get out of the group stage in the 2022 World Cup

The knockout rounds are going to be interesting. I'm not too concerned with them [USMNT] getting out of the group. It's really up to them. I mean, they have a favorable draw.

Lionel Messi is a better and more magical soccer player than Cristiano Ronaldo

I respect the amount of work that Ronaldo puts in... he's top notch pro. But Messi, I mean, what the guy has done on the field, it's magic. You don't see that in a player. And I don't know when, and if we will ever see a player that is quite like Messi again.

Michelle Akers is the greatest women's soccer player of all time

All time goats... I would say probably Michelle Akers. Yeah. She just—talk about somebody that would run through a brick wall, play on one leg if she had to, she scored in some of the biggest moments. She was definitely somebody I looked up to.

Small dogs like poodles and Australian Shepherds are terrible domestic house dogs

Little dogs are the worst. All these people, they get these little Australian Shepherds that are not good domestic dogs. They are shepherds. And then they get poodles too and different little poodle mixes and they're hunting dogs and they have them running around as though they're like supposed to be nice house dogs, but they are literal hunting dogs.

I want the Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies series to go to seven games because it is so competitive

I agree with you. I want this to go seven. I feel bad for the Timberwolves... this series is so competitive. Every game's a war.

The Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies series is the most fun series to watch because they are the two youngest teams in the NBA

There's a reason why this series is so fun to watch. Obviously you've got great players... [they are] the two youngest teams in the playoffs, two of the five youngest teams in the NBA, which means that you're going to see some guys that have the ability to do like incredible, amazing athletic stuff, but also make really, really stupid, awful mistakes.

The 2021-22 Atlanta Hawks season ended in a gross way and their ECF run last year might have been a bad thing for the team's development

I think we go back, we revisit like, is it going to end up being a bad thing that they went to the Eastern conference final last year because they went into the playoffs and this whole season being like, we've, we've done something. We can do this. And their season ends in kind of a very gross way... That was a gross, gross ending for the Hawks.

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.

Jason Tatum was easily the best player in the Celtics vs. Nets series

Jason Tatum is, I mean, he is, he was easily the best player in the series. I like watching him in person. You, you know, like when you're watching a game in person, you're like, oh yeah, that guy is just better than everyone. And that's what it felt like.

Kevin Durant's championships with the Warriors absolutely count regardless of whether he was 'driving the bus'

I'm on Kevin Durant's side. I think Kevin it's fair to criticize Kevin Durant in this series while also saying his championships absolutely count. And that's just what it is.

Trayvon Walker will be the #1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft

I think Trayvon Walker is going to be the pick for Jacksonville, which is a surprise, but that's based on conversations in the last three, four days. Honestly, I thought all along that they would go with Aiden Hutchinson.

No team in the top 19 picks will draft a quarterback unless they trade up

I'll be shocked that if a team in the top 19 picks that didn't trade up, takes a quarterback... I don't see Seattle at nine taking a quarterback. I think you're going to see the run happen where it should happen. These quarterbacks are back half of the first and early second round quarterbacks.

Wide receiver has become the second most valuable position in the NFL

Wide receiver, you could argue has become the second, most valuable position in the NFL. Just look at all the contracts this off season.

Breece Hall will be the first running back drafted, likely to the Bills at pick 25

If one back is going to go in the first round, I would say it's Breece Hall. And I think the most likely team to take them would be the bills at 25.

Desmond Ridder is the most pro-ready quarterback in the 2022 draft and is comparable to Marcus Mariota

A quarterback that can start right away. Kenny Pickett from Pitt? And it's like the most pro ready guy. I kind of like Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati... Cincinnati is like NFL comp is like Marcus Mariota.

Trayvon Walker will be a bust

I want to say Trayvon Walker, just because like I'm a traits over production guy and that's what the whole draft is... we haven't seen it on field... What are we doing here? ... I would say if I would pick one bust, it would be him.

Kayvon Thibodeau has red flags because he may not 'love football' due to his outside interests like cryptocurrency

The other flag that I would have, and there's a lot of smoke around this. Guy's Kayvon Thibodeau... I, I love hearing these... red flags around guys. Like, does he love football? This guy has like a ton of outside interest. He started his own cryptocurrencies.

Nakobe Dean will not be drafted in the first round

There's some medical things with linebackers right now. So I would say Nakobe Dean, who's probably the most productive player on Georgia's defense, the linebacker is not going to get drafted in the first round.

Quay Walker is a lock to be drafted in the first round and will go before Nakobe Dean

Quay Walker is whoa from what I'm hearing, like kind of a lock to be drafted in the first round. And he's a big, he had production, but he was, he's definitely traits over, over production guy.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the Super Bowl this season

They're like record... Super bowl. Super bowl winner. Yes.

Once you hit your 30s, you are never going to experience ten days with no pain

The rule is 10 days with no pain [for Ben Simmons to return]. I got news for you, buddy. Once you hit your thirties, you're never going to experience 10 days with no pain. It's just constant pain.

Jason Tatum is as good as Kevin Durant right now in their respective careers

I thought that going into it, when we talked to Russillo, I was like, everyone's talking about Kevin Durant. Is there a chance that Jayson Tatum is just as good as Kevin Durant right now in their respective careers? Cause obviously Kevin Durant's a little older, a lot of injuries. Like this series, [Tatum] has been the better player. Not even, that's not even debatable offensive and defense.

I am officially putting my stamp on it: the Celtics are for real

Game two is when I just realized that the Celtics are for real, I'm not officially putting my stamp on it. That's a PFT stamp. The Celtics are for real.

I would take Draymond Green in a fight against any set of brothers

Draymond has, has the irrational confidence that I don't think it can be stopped against anyone... I'd take them against [the Jokic brothers]. I would take against any set of brothers.

Grayson Allen officially owns my life

Grayson Allen is my daddy. There's nothing more. So the Bucks is, he owns me. He owns my life... Grayson Allen owns me. I there's nothing more. I can say.

You cannot win an NBA championship when your best player is a primary ball-handling guard

I might be more of the mindset of like, you can't win a championship when your best player is a guard. Yeah. Like is it is a primary ball handler. Yeah. But then the golden state warriors. My fuck me up on that one a little bit.

Kenny Pickett will have a career similar to Alex Smith or Ryan Tannehill

I think Pickett feels like, I feel like he's got a high, a high floor. He's kind of like, if you're looking at what he can be, I think of a guy like Alex Smith, the career that he had, I could see Pickett having that type of a career. You know, Tannehill, Alex Smith.

The Saints will not draft a quarterback in the first round

I don't think New Orleans is taking one [a QB]. I know they acquired the extra first round pick, but everything I've kind of heard you go out and you sign Andy Dalton and you've already got Jameis. Like you're going to end up probably having to release one of those guys. If you draft a quarterback, she probably not going to carry three. So that, that doesn't make as much sense for them.

Aidan Hutchinson is the best player in the 2022 NFL Draft

I just keep going back to the fact like you just got off the Urban Meyer rollercoaster, like let's just take, take Aidan Hutchinson, just put it right in the middle of the fairway here. ... I think he's the best player in the draft personally.

Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. is way better than any defensive end in the 2022 draft

I can tell you after having done this for 20 years, that the defensive man from Alabama [Will Anderson] is an absolute freak show. And he's way better than anybody in this draft class. Not even close, he just jumps off the screen.

Garrett Wilson is the best wide receiver in the 2022 class

I love Garrett Wilson from Ohio State. I just think he does everything... he's one of those guys. You can play him outside. You can play him inside. He's got real speed... and he plays that way, but he's strong. To me he's my top guy.

Baker Mayfield will be traded by the end of draft weekend

I'm going to say that actually, I'm going to say Baker does. I'm going to say Baker does [get traded]. I could see Baker and Carolina for a pick next year though, that that wouldn't surprise me.

Tesla is the only electric car company

They're the only electric car company actually.

Bill Gates could not hit a slow-pitch softball

Do you think Bill Gates could hit a slow pitch softball? No, that makes me feel good. No. ... Let me let me get a little fucking 10, 10 foot arch on his ass. He won't, he won't be able to hit that.

There is no sport in the world that Bill Gates is better at than me

I don't think that there's a sport in the world. That bill gates is better than me at.

Patrick Beverley is at his best when he is angry and disrespected, rather than happy and praised

Patrick Beverley needs to get more pissed off. I think he's too happy... he's been respected too much recently. Patrick Beverley needs to get angry again. He's too happy. I think people have respected Patrick Beverley a little bit too much the last week... he's at his best when he's got a chip on his shoulder.

Karl-Anthony Towns is a bum for his no-show performance against the Grizzlies

I'm done with Karl-Anthony Towns. I'm definitely done with him... He's a bum. I don't know what to say. Like he has to basically, he now has a legacy series that his hands he has to come out and dominate the next like three games to restore his legacy because now the play-in game and then tonight [Game 3] he was a complete no-show.

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.

There is no chance the Celtics sweep the Brooklyn Nets

He's [Kevin Durant] going to have 50 in one of those games... It has to happen... [A sweep] would be crazy. It's still going to be a womping... there's no chance there's a sweep.

I am fully in 'belief mode' for the Bulls to beat the Bucks after Khris Middleton's injury

I wouldn't say the Bulls are back if it weren't for the fact that Khris Middleton also got hurt. That actually makes it so I think the Bucks are still the better team, but the margin for error is a lot slimmer... I'm fully in belief mode now.

Jay Wright is a top 20 college basketball coach of all time.

Jay Wright, retired, classy, classy move... Top 20 coach all time Jake... I mean, he's he had four Final Fours, two titles. He owned an entire, that was his decade.

Jay Wright will eventually coach the New York Knicks

Now, it would be very funny if Jay Wright were to then coach for the Lakers or the Knicks... In fact, we speculated in 2017 with Jay Wright that he would end up as the coach of the New York Knicks. What about that actually? Jay Wright to the Knicks.

Jim Boeheim is essentially a warlord in Syracuse and it is impossible to fire him.

He is basically a warlord in Syracuse, New York. He runs in that town. Yeah. You can't fire him... He's going to have dudes rolling up in the back of like 1988 Toyota pickup trucks with machine guns.

Despite key injuries to Devin Booker and Khris Middleton, both the Suns and Bucks will still advance past the first round of the playoffs.

I got to say yes for the Suns... with Devin Booker on the shelf, obviously they're not healthy and New Orleans is frisky... but I think they'll be okay in round one. I would not say that in round two. And as for Chris Middleton... I think they have enough to get by Chicago, but that's not guaranteed.

Donovan Mitchell is currently an inefficient jump shooter

Donovan Mitchell reminds me a little bit of DeRozan. His shot selection is tough and his shot-making isn't as good as DeRozan's... overall, I would say he's inefficient as a jump shooter.

The Golden State Warriors are officially 'back' and look like a championship team again.

The early returns in round one, it screams, yes, this is looking like not only a very, very dangerous offensive team, but once again, with Draymond [Green] they're a very good defensive team... it seems like they're back guys... And what I keep telling people is if the Warriors get out of the West, that's six trips to the finals in eight years.