Takes

It is better to guard Nikola Jokic with average defenders than one elite defender like Rudy Gobert

I think it's almost better to guard Jokic with like one and a half slash two average defenders than it is to guard him with one good defender [like Rudy Gobert].

The Timberwolves look like they are still exhausted from the Tom Thibodeau era and have officially hit a wall

The Timberwolves actually, they look better at times defensively with [Rudy] Gobert on the bench... I think maybe we need to have the conversation about the Timberwolves. They look like they're still exhausted from when [Thibodeau] coached 'em back in 2018. They hit the wall after game two. I feel like this is it. Classic [Thibodeau] just ran its guys too hard and now they can't win another playoff game.

The Knicks are very overmatched against the Celtics and their run will end if they meet in the Eastern Conference Finals

I think [the Knicks] are gonna win this series and I think they're very overmatched against Celtics, but you can understand why they've captured the hearts of New York.

The Vancouver Canucks are officially no longer a 'team of destiny'

I'm gonna say the Canucks are no longer a team of destiny. Congratulations to the Canucks. You're my team of destiny for one game. Actually one in like, almost like 1.75 of a game.

In the NBA playoffs, the team that wins Game 5 when a series is tied 2-2 wins the series 85% of the time

I think it's what, 85% somewhere around there in basketball. The team that wins Game five when it's tied 2-2. They going to win the series. We have to, as a sports podcast, we have to remind everybody that I think it's legally required.

Anthony Edwards is going nuclear and having a massive scoring night in Game 6

I think I might do game of the year Anthony Edwards [over points]. 'cause I just don't, I don't see a world where he doesn't just go, like he's gonna take this personal, he's gonna go nuclear. He knows that he's the guy. He knows that it doesn't matter if Karl-Anthony Towns hits a three early on and does the finger guns. It's gotta be him.

The Celtics won't truly be tested in the playoffs until they reach the NBA Finals

It reminds me of the Patriots where it's like you're not gonna get tested till the championship... The east really is such, it's crazy that we're gonna get to a spot... We just need the fucking, hopefully the Timberwolves won tonight.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially earned their big boy playoff stripes

The Thunder I want say have officially earned their big boy playoff stripes because what they did on Monday night when they could not shoot at all... That's a tough playoff win. ... the Thunder win. And I'm like, they got their big boy stripes.

Bronny James is in a terrible spot and I feel bad for him

My Hot Seat is Bronny James... I feel bad for him. Like I, I he's he's in a terrible spot. I agree. He's in a terrible spot. He is at the combine this week. People are debating whether he should even be at the combine.

Bronny James would not be drafted or at the combine if his name wasn't Bronny James

I do agree with you because it's just a simple question. Would Bronny James be at the combine and be drafted if his name wasn't Bronny James? The answer's no.

Bronny James will likely be drafted in the 30s or 40s range

I think he's still gonna go in that thirties, forties range. So I think that's still a good bet.

Jared Goff is no longer a bridge quarterback after proving everyone wrong with the Lions

When the trade happened, everybody was saying like, they're gonna use Jared Goff as a bridge quarterback. Now he's he's not a bridge. ... it felt like there was Yeah, when he got traded for the Rams, it's like, oh, his career's over and now he's he's proven everyone wrong.

I will strap a bomb to my chest if Aaron Rodgers has another season-ending injury in Week 1

If Aaron Rodgers gets another season ending injury [against the 49ers], I'm gonna strap a bomb to my chest and go to the NFL office and blow up.

NBA head coaches have less power than ever and rank near the bottom of the team power structure

I think it's harder than ever to be a head coach in the NBA. I think in a lot of cases you have less power and say over what's going on... the owner, the owner's kid... the president/GM... the star player... and the star player's agent is probably ahead of you. And maybe even your second best player in his agent, you're like seventh or eighth, ninth.

The Lakers coaching job is a much better long-term opportunity than the Suns job

I think there's more of a runway with the Lakers. I think the Suns is like more of a, you know what happens in the NBA if you, if they have another season this year... you have this like very tiny window. ... The Lakers have, I think a longer runway. ... If you create a max salary spot with the Lakers, come on, you're getting somebody. Right. Guys are always [wanting to play there].

Victor Wembanyama is going to dominate the NBA in ways we have never seen on both ends of the floor

The Spurs are coming because of Victor [Wembanyama]. ... we better all get our winning out of the way fast. We better get our winning done fast. 'cause once that kid has anybody around him, he's gonna win everything all the time. ... He's going to dominate this league in ways like I think on both ends of the floor, unlike we've seen.

Valhalla is a golf course that heavily favors players who hit it far and high

I'm looking at players to pick or favorites to kind of focus on, I'm looking at guys that hit it far and hit it high. Guys like Rory McIlroy and Brooks [Koepka]... but you gotta beat it forever and you gotta hit it relatively straight because the rough is gnarly.

The British Open is the only major Tiger Woods can realistically contend in at this point in his career

I look at Tiger right now and I think the only major he can really contend in and potentially win is the British Open. Because firm/fast/warm things like that play into his hands. It's just gonna be tough for Tiger to play at a wet and soft golf course that plays this long when he is 40 and 50 yards behind a Scotty Scheffler or a Brooks [Koepka] or a Rory [McIlroy].

Will Zalatoris is a 'playoff' type player who finds another gear in major championships regardless of his recent form

I like [Will] Zalatoris as well this week... the harder the golf course the better it is for his game because he hits it so well... It's almost like guys that step up in the playoffs, right? Maybe they're not great during the regular season, but they find another gear or they're game translates in the playoffs. He's one of those playoff type of players.

Sahith Theegala is a great sleeper pick for the PGA Championship

I'm looking at [Sahith] Theegala... probably in that 100 to 125 to one range that I kind of like this week. I mean again, you're talking about he's probably 150 to one ish... he's a guy that has been finding his game and getting more comfortable in terms of [major] setups.

Max Homa is in my top three favorites and can absolutely win the PGA Championship

I think Max [Homa] can absolutely win here. I think it's a good golf course for him. And I feel like he's been playing better and better golf than we saw early in the season. So absolutely. I think, I think Max not only can win, but I think he's in probably my top three favorites right now.

Rory McIlroy will get a performance boost from his recent divorce filing

Rory McElroy divorce bump... Scotty Scheffler baby bump. Rory McElroy divorce. Divorce bump... I think it might be Rory divorce bump.

I am betting on a one-two finish for Scotty Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship

One two Scheffler McElroy and then one two McElroy [then] Scotty. I, that might be the move.

The Nuggets are the scariest team left in the playoffs

The Nuggets are the scariest team in the West. You're right. Left in the playoffs period. Like the Nuggets just do not care. Like they're not worried ...

The Western Conference power ranking right now is the Nuggets, followed by the Timberwolves, the Thunder, and then the Mavericks

[PFT Commenter: Rank the four teams outta the west. Scary. Who are you the most scared of?] Nuggets one, Timberwolves, Thunder... [Mavs are 4].

I am out on the Thunder for using the 'Hack-a-Lively' strategy with six minutes left in a close playoff game

I might be out on the Thunder... I thought that was so fucking lame that they did Hack-a-Lively with six minutes left. It was a five point game... You're the one seed and you're down five in the fourth quarter with six minutes left... and you're doing fucking Hack-a-Lively. Come on man.

The Celtics will reach the NBA Finals without playing a single memorable game

Will they [the Celtics] be the first team to ever get to the finals without playing a single memorable playoff game? It's crazy. Every game is either they kick the shit out of the opponent and their two losses are they got the shit kicked outta them. They haven't played in one like big fourth quarter moment yet.

The Celtics will smoke whoever wins the Knicks-Pacers series

And they'll smoke whoever wins the Knicks-Pacers [series]. I just love beating New York little brother.

Tom Thibodeau did not cause the Knicks' current injury crisis

I don't think that he [Thibodeau] specifically has caused this situation that the Knicks are in... Julius Randall hurt his shoulder on a play... OG's always hurt and he was traded halfway through the season... Brunson was like 14th in minutes... I think this one situation, like it's kind of just fluke injuries and I don't know if you can blame him a hundred percent for this one.

The NHL is rigging the playoffs for a Panthers-Rangers Eastern Conference Final

I something's fishy with the NHL and and this Panthers team... They didn't suspend [Bennett], which is crazy... I don't understand why... The NHL is trying to rig a Panthers, Rangers Eastern Conference Finals. They much rather have that than Bruins-Rangers.

There is a 0% chance the Rangers win the Stanley Cup

[Big Cat: What are you gonna do if the Rangers win the cup?] They're not gonna win the cup. [Big Cat: How could you say a team that's up three one in the second round has a 0% chance to win the cup?] Who cares? [Islanders] won four in a row.

The Canucks are a team of destiny

Are the Canucks a team of destiny? ... The way Biz described them last week was like, no one expected them to be here. They won a very tough division. and everyone's like, nice story, but they're not gonna win it all. I think they might be team of destiny.

Rory McIlroy only wins the tournament immediately preceding a Major and then usually misses the cut

Rory, I feel like he's the king of winning the championship right before Major. Then everyone talks about him. It's a major week. Rory's back. He's go...

Secretariat's records are fraudulent and he likely used steroids

Secretariat had 663 children... Guess how many of his kids won a Triple Crown race? The answer is zero... every mile time has gradually gotten better over the years except horse racing... He also lost a bunch of races... they had an excuse ready after every single loss... he had horse herpes and they blamed his loss on that... The more you look into Secretariat, the more it stinks to high heaven.

Flightline is the GOAT horse over Secretariat

I think we should as a podcast, we should say Flightline is our goat. Flightline was a horse that won the Breeders Cup two years ago... He raced six times and he just killed everyone... Casual fans will say Secretariat... Flightline, he was an incredible horse.

The Pistons getting the fifth pick for the third straight year despite being the worst team is a sick joke

The Detroit Pistons picking fifth in the draft... two years ago, the Pistons won 23 games. They were third worst in the league. They got the fifth pick. Last year, the Pistons won 17 games. Worst in the league. Fifth pick. This year they won 14 games. Worst in the league. Fifth pick. That's insane. That seems like a sick joke against the Pistons.

I hate my catch against the Falcons in the Super Bowl because I ran a bad route

I honestly, it's a lucky play. Like, I don't, like, I like watching plays that like, I got blown up or something and I just hung on with the ball... I don't like that play. [PFT Commenter: Why?] Because it was a bad route. I middle read, I didn't bop my guy to the bow route... I bananaed my route. You gotta make him feel like you're hitting that bow route... it was a bad route, so I don't like it.

Drew Bledsoe still throws the ball 1,000 miles an hour even though he's 50 years old

Hey, I threw with Drew Bledsoe. [Hank: He was throwing a thousand miles an hour.] Still zips it, bro. [Hank: Was he just like, here's a catch here, it's going 90 miles an hour?] No, we were literally... and there's a ball there and we just started throwing... that dude's got the centrifugal force on his ball... he's 50 years old and he still could still zip it.

Brian Hoyer throws the most catchable ball of any quarterback I played with

You know who actually threw a real catchable ball? Brian Hoyer did... He had this little pat thing. He threw a real catchable ball. Mallet used to throw a real heavy, heavy like hard ball... but yeah, Hoyer threw a real catchable ball.

Gronk is actually a savant with numbers

I'm telling you right now. Gronk knows numbers, bro... whenever we used to talk contracts... I would always bust his balls like, yo, what's square root of this, Gronk? 144. He'd be like 12, dude! Like, he really knows numbers pretty well, dude. Not joking.

Shaving your head and growing a beard is the only move for balding men

Shave it and grow a beard... my thing was, which I held onto it for a while... and I finally got... I found this barber... He goes 'Dude you need to just shave your fucking head.' That's, yeah, I think you're right dude. It's tough. I shave it. It was just, you know, bullied me into shaving my head.

Every hobby a man has is designed primarily to attract women

It's from Ed Latimore, former professional boxer... All of your hobbies and ambitions are to attract women. Nature doesn't care how much personal fulfillment you get from them. Those things are cool, but they're coincidental positive externality to the Prime objective to keep the species going. Every hobby that you have is designed to attract women.

Gambling is the least attractive hobby a man can have

I mean, my only hobby is gambling... I think gambling has to be the least attractive thing to a woman if you're good at it. Not if you're good... gambling, golfing, flight simulators, helicopter parenting turtles, combos, Call of Duty, going for walks. Max clogging toilets.

Jayson Tatum has had nothing but success in his NBA career despite a lack of a ring

I think [the critics] are wrong. I think Jayson Tatum just gets picked on. He's had nothing but success in his NBA career. He hasn't won a championship, but he's still had an extremely successful beginning of his career.

The Celtics will win Game 3 by exactly 33 points

Prediction for Saturday night: Win by 33. I guess a little, you know, you got an extra one. 101 [total series point differential].

The Celtics will sweep the rest of the playoffs through the Eastern Conference Finals

We're the Boston Celtics. We're gonna beat the fuck out of 'em the next game. Beat the fuck out of 'em again. Beat the fuck out of 'em again. And then the Pacers and Knicks are both gonna be dead by the time they come to us. That's a clean sweep, clean sweep.

Rick Carlisle is being a 'gigantic baby' for his officiating complaints

The Pacers have had a bad whistle and they got, they got screwed up. I mean, game one that we, we talked about on Wednesday, that game one kickball call sucked. They've gotten a bad whistle. Rick Carlisle's being a gigantic baby.

Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards are officially emerging superstars

I've had some Knicks fans ask me. Yes, he is. Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson are now officially emerging superstars... they're absolutely emerging superstars and all over the place.

The Pacers will win Game 3 against the Knicks on Friday night

I think the Pacers will probably win on Friday night. Just based off, or is it Friday night or Saturday? I think it's Friday night... with the Knicks injuries, the Pacers will win game three.

The NFL scheduling Christmas games on Netflix will hurt NBA ratings by making it harder to channel flip

Not only are they taking away Christmas Day from the NBA, they're also taking away the ability of people to comfortably change the channel to the NBA games during commercial breaks... signing out of Netflix, turning onto cable... such a pain in the dick to do that. And so they're taking away even the pity ratings.