This is the baseline, discussing the hot button topics of the nb A welcome
everybody, your tune to the baseline. Calie Warrenshaw discussing the hot button topics
of the NBA. We are only a few weeks away before we say goodbye
to twenty twenty three, hello to twenty twenty four. But the NBA certainly
is giving us anyway is the gift that keeps on giving? You know,
as we start getting towards the end of the year, man, it's been
an exciting first few months of the NBA season. Some surprising storylines have emerged,
you know, some teams that have elevated themselves into the conversation of being
playoff contenders. You know where in many regards we probably wouldn't have even sniffed
them as being a top ten possible team. The surprising quick start sort of
speak. Can it be maintained? So, you know, it's great because
as we near you know, twenty twenty four, the very first month,
which is you know, of the year, they're just important themed NBA.
You know, matchups that are taking place that is gonna really kind of spark
up, you know, the momentum going into NBA All Star weekend and stuff.
So it's just really an exciting time if you're someone who's watching. You
know, the NBA, you know, become the premier sports so to speak,
as we get towards the end of the year, and who none better
to continue to talk about it and and roll with the greatest of the greats.
Man, my man, mister Warrenshaw repping out of Fort Laydaville, Florida.
What's good, brother, You got the Christmas tree ready to go.
You got the presence of the NBA underneath the tree. You know what I'm
saying. Where's the missiletoe? Well, no tree is up yet. I'm
a little slow to the to the draw here, but my wife definitely has
started to decorate. We do have some lights up on our palms out here
in sunny South Florida. I mean some fake or full gifts outside of the
door. So the tree is I'm sure come hopefully, i'd assume probably by
next week and here as we're recording, man, But yeah, the Christmas
spread is always a fun time in the NBA, giving us a little in
season turn them in here to get the holiday season kicked off. And as
you alluded to, Christmas Day Games, you know, a couple of short
weeks after that. Yeah, I'm I think one of the things I was
thinking about this is like, what are the kind of you know, themes
topics we probably want to have as we get a little bit closer to the
holiday season, because I know we typically do like maybe a preview or you
know, an overview of the of the Christmas Day Games, But I think
we may have to do an episode of things that we want to be thankful
for for twenty twenty four with the NBA, right, Like things that we're
on our wishless so to speak, Like when Santa comes down that tree,
what is he dropping for us? You know, say that's going to give
us the good feels for the NBA moving forward for the remainder of the season.
You know, Yeah, I like that idea, man, anything we
can continue to keep it fresh for our friends and our fans and listeners out
there. Man, definitely definitely about that. So any episode topics, We're
definitely gonna take that into consideration. So as always, Man, you are
the creator of great ideas here on the baseline, So when we put that
into your practice here in a couple of weeks, speaking of fresh right.
I know that it's been a little while. We've had it stored away for
for for quite some time, but we felt it only necessary. We talked
about this in last week's episode that we felt it the need for us to
bring back one of our coveted segments. You know what I'm saying, talk
ish or Abandoned Ship. Shout out to our man bust the rhymes and the
whole flipmo fam. You know what I'm saying for inspiring uh this this uh,
this well thought out and very clever segment of ours, talk ish or
Abandoned Ship. I'm excited for us to have that conversation again as man.
Hey, you talked about it, you talked it up, so I was
like, it's about time to put that into rotation here because yeah, album
album came out too, right, Like you did you see his new video
that he that I dropped. Yeah, Bussing has a whole new album,
bus As. It's going on tour as well too, so I'm pretty excited.
I've heard a couple of tracks from that as ready, and it's vintage
yo. You know bus Its still out here. It's did a great job
I think mixing in New school and old school, you know, with especially
with the features that he has out there. So if anyway, we're a
basketball show, but you know we love hip hop here man, but definitely
all check out that new Bustle album. Man pretty tight. Absolutely, So
you know this week's show, we're gonna do a little talk ISSU or abandoned
ship. But basically, you know what we what we do is we kind
of revisit some of the the thoughts that we presented during the uh you know,
preseason or before the season began, in the off season, our predictions
and whether or not you know, we still think that you know, we
should be talking about you know, staying on that or it's time for us
to abandon ship on that on on that thought that we had back you know
what I'm saying during the off season. So it's a really good episode something
to kind of you know, put us in keep us in checks, so
to speak, whether or not we're really holding true you know what I'm saying
to our predictiontions or you know, our our our commentary about what we think
is going on with certain players or teams, you know, as they're stated,
you know what I'm saying. So I always find it to be fun
as well too, because you know, Seaw likes to hold me in checking
at times. I tend to forget stuff that out and said two three months
ago. But you know, tape don't lie. There's a lot going on
for both of us brothers, so you know, and we forget what we
said. This is why we we do here. If this wasn't if this
wasn't podcast, and man, we be politicians right about now. So you
know what I'm saying. But I don't want to get George Santos out of
the I don't want to get George Santos out of the out of the Out
of the Basketball podcast, and so you know you got to keep me in
check, bro, please, you know I don't I don't want to be
Senator to Davis from the wire, so I'll keep everything anyway. A great
episode, so you definitely want to tap in as always, Get at my
man Sports, NBA, get at me, Game Faced, lead the show,
Twitter, hand at NBA Baseline. If you want to catch this episode
in all of our previous episodes, be sure to go to www dot n
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You want it, We've got it, so go to www dot nineteen
media group dot com. Like that, don't even with your niggas abandon ship
clickas nickas all right, seaw, so let's get right into it, man,
Let's do a little talk ish or abandoned ship man and uh again,
excited for us to be able to do this because it's been a minute.
So I think the first team that we want to kind of talk about on
whether or not we want to continue to keep talking our ish or abandoning ship,
the Orlando Magic and our prediction of us saying that this was basically a
Tier four type of team that while we think this team is going to be
that you know, could be moderately improved, We didn't think that the parts
because not understanding or we're within We were confident that they were going to be
a team, you know, who could find themselves being playoff contenders So for
you, are you on the side of still talking at ish or are you
ready to abandon ship? Yeah, I got an abandoned ship on our original
take. I think we had them in a Tier four team out of the
playoffs. You know, hey, they need to make a strong step in
the right positive direction. And know you had Steven on the show here in
a couple of weeks ago, and you know they said playoffs are kind of
what they expect. But I think you and I rigs a little bit like
all right, probably still another year of development, especially with the rest of
the Eastern Conference. But this team knows how to play defense, They believe
each other, they are long, they get it done. While people are
in and out of the lineup. That doesn't even matter anymore. That used
to really be a hindrance to them. They've rolled delineated guys like Jonathan Isaac.
Listen, dude, you got to worry about doing much. This is
not your team. And he's coming off the bench. Paulo is definitely taking
a step up here. And I think this magic team credit to you know,
Jamal Molesey and what he's got going on there, especially with their ability
to play defense. This is a team that's I'm not I'm hesitant to say
they're an Eastern Conference contender right as they're second in the East as we record,
But to say that they were going to be out of the playoffs seems
a little bit fool hardy. So I'm definitely an a man in the ship
there and think they're probably going to be solidly in the playoff chase here above
that six line. So there's so many things I think we want to get
into, and obviously, you know, we can spend a whole episode talking
about the evolution of the Orlando Magic, But the first thing I want to
say is, damn they finally got this right right, And I hope us
talking about it is not going to jinx this team and jinx what they could
potentially have going on by the end of this season, because I think win
loser draw, what you're seeing from this Orlando Magic team is something that can
be sustainably successful for them for the next few years, and I think that's
what a lot of people are hoping for. But I think that the aggressiveness
of how great they are playing collectively as a team, and the turnaround that
they're exhibiting, it's hard to ignore that they're going to be, you know,
in playoff conversations, shall I mean, I think the question is is
are they play in or playoff worthy? And when you look at where they're
sitting right now as we just basically pass the quarter mark, you know,
of the season, they're in the best position possible to be a legit playoff
basketball team. You know what I'm saying. It would ultimately have to come
down to them going to some egregious losing streaks before we really begin to start
seeing the blemishes and lose that confidence. So I'm definitely going to be abandoning
ship on what I said previously. But I think one of the things that
really resonates with me about why it's easy to abandoned ship on what we said
earlier before about this magic team, And one of one part of it was
because of Stephen Cameron's assessment, which is great, you know, because I
completely agree with him whole hardly about why he felt confident that this Magic team
is a good basketball team. It should not be overlooked. But I think
the other thing as well too is, you know, we just forgot about
Polo Banchero. Wasn't he not rookie of the Year last year. You know
what I'm saying, the last couple of years, the oxygen has been taken
out of the room and appreciating the emergence of Polo Banchero's gameplay even when he
was coming out of Duke, you know what I mean. Like, I
think a lot of people wasn't completely keen on whether or not him as a
player could be as this good as what we're seeing of him. And it's
only in the second year because everything has been about Victor Wombaniana. You know
what I'm saying. Every like everyone just completely leapfrog past what Polo did,
and because he's playing on a bad basketball team that they're not seeing the complete
package. And the other thing as well, too, is we get caught
up in the aesthetics. I think a lot of people get caught up on
the look of what an NBA player is supposed to be and he has to
have these unicorn like, you know, measurements like you know Porzingis or wehen
Banyana in order for us to instantly appreciate the level of greatness that a player
can ascend to. And there's only two moments that I can app that I
can think about when I say a guy like Paolo Boncherro, for us to
say, this guy's gonna probably be like, you know, all NBA in
a year or two. He's definitely gonna be an All Star you know this
season, no question. But this guy's gonna essentially assent to a superstar status
where we're saying, if the Land of Magic eventually want to be contenders,
it's gonna be through him. Right. You look at Paulo Bonchero. He
reminds me a lot like Jason Tatum, because the question marks about Jason Tatum
is, oh, you know, he's a great score, can he be
a great NBA player? And it's almost like we overlooked everything that that the
Jason Tatum package was bringing because we weren't as confident and believing in that because
we're still looking for the next best thing. So what I'm seeing from him
and what I'm seeing from the Magic collectively kind of really helps accentuate the point
that it's easy to abandon ship saying that this team, you know, is
still a year away from you know, getting to a point where we have
confidence and I have confidence in this now because with the start that they've gotten,
it really is going to take some bad, bad, bad streaks before
we actually start counting them out of being in the playoff picture. Yeah,
I mean, so I'll close it on this. You know, they're in
the middle of a nine out of ten, right They had a nine game
winning streaks just snapped over the course of the weekend as we're recording against Brooklyn,
rough showing in the Brooklyn game, you know, Cal Bridges came out
there and just kind of lit them up. But at the end of the
day, this is a competent basketball team to getting great basketball player from Jillen
Suggs here seems more confident in what he's been doing and there on the floor
been competent from the three point line I think more specifically, and they still
get Marco Foltz and and Wendell Carter Junior to come back at some point.
So to me, I wouldnt even say his reinforcements. It's just kind of,
hey, they have more more studs kind of coming on the way that
fit into their system and in It's an amazing situation thing for what Mosley has
been able to do this part of the season. And it would take,
like you said, losing shrieks or multiple to kind of knock them out from
where they at right now. They just need to keep up this level of
confidence and this level of defense, and I think they're gonna be right there,
you know, in that five six range list. I still don't think
there are a top two or three team in the Ustern conference on all it
said and done. But there's nothing to sneedz that if they you know,
drop down the five or six here and to stay in above above that planet
line. Absolutely all right, sew. So let's go ahead and talk about
the next team on our talk issu or abandoned ship docket, and that's going
to be the Cleveland Cavaliers who we had predicted them or put them in a
tier three type space, right, So what is it that you're getting from
them? You know what I'm saying, You still believe that this team still
has that Tier three in them? Or are you ready to abandon ship on
that sentiment, I'm gonna I'm gonna hesitantly talk my ish and feel like this
is a squad that well, we'll get it together. Garland and Donovan Mitchell
have both missed time to start the year. Jared Allen missed time to start
the beginning of the year, and I think that just was wonky for them.
I feel like this is a team that really should be in that top
four or five situation here when all is said and done. I believe in
JB bigger Staff, you know, as a coach, and I think that
Cleveland has the ability to play some really solid defense, especially with Mobile leading
that front line and Jared Allen back there as well too. I feel like
they've addressed the issue to some degree at the small forward. While Max Strust
is in an NBA All Star I think he's a very competent basketball player at
that three to four position and obviously can space it. So if they do
a better job of getting him like good open looks where he's not having to
create and try to do too much, I think they'll be all right at
that three position and should be a pretty good basketball team moving forward. But
they have shown some signs. They have some ugly losses this year, but
I'm going to attribute that to the guys being in and out of the lineup
here and hopefully Cleveland Cavaliers can be the topper topper echelon team the US in
conference as we predicted. I'm going to continue to talk ish. I might,
but I'm gonna be even more shaky on it. Let's let's just say
that I'm a quarter of the way on the plank. Okay, I'm a
quarter of away on the plank, right Like you know, I understand you
want to continue to talk ISH. If you talk ISH, you'd rather be
talking is on the actual ship, right, Yeah. I let let's put
like this. I got the I got the hold on you doing you're doing
to hold me back? I got, I got, I got the life
raft hanging over just you know what I'm saying, because you know, just
in case, I'm being prepared. Okay, And let me tell you why
a couple of reasons. Number one, this team still hasn't figured out how
to score the basketball with consistency, which I think is supposed to be really
one of the things that stands out when you look at the level of athleticism
and and and scoring capabilities that this team can't exhibit they could potentially exhibit,
right which Mitchell and boldly and with Garland, and I understand the injuries definitely
can hamper and plagues that, but you would look at their you know,
their the points that they're they are gaining and you look at points allowed and
there's really like a one point eight to you know, maybe two point differential,
right, so and and there Neither of them are like top ten ish
right like you know, so they're they're somewhere in the middle, right.
So maybe part of that has continued to the early struggles. But I've often
said, and I think we've said this numerous times, your possible young son,
I don't know where he is now. If he's with you know what
I'm saying. If he's now, you've set him up for adoption. Evan
Mobley, he to me, is the key. I can clearly recall this
because I had a side conversation the other day with the dude who brought up
this kid's name. He's like, yeah, man, this dude dropped twenty
twenty, you know what I'm saying. Like, and I was sitting here
saying, who are you talking about? And at first I was going to
say al from Singoun. I was talking to talk about your boy, right
who gets that? And like in his sleep nowadays right with the Houston Rockets.
He was talking about Evan Mobley and I was like, oh what even
I was shocked Evan Mobley had that kind of performance. But you know what
doesn't shock Mishaw is the conversations that we've had that this should be Evan Mobley
on a night in, night out basis. I'm not saying he's getting twenty
twenty all the time, but I'm just saying he should be giving you far
better consistency in his output and production. And to me, he is the
X factor to whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be a successful
basketball team if his output is going to be like Anthony davisish you know,
and I'm only saying that because it is the truth, right, there's inconsistencies
in Anthony Davis's ability to dominate. You'll get it sometimes and you won't get
it sometimes. Evan Mobley operates in that same space. You'll get it sometimes
and in most times you won't get it. If Evan Mobley is not operating
in a dominant space in his position, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to struggle,
right, And we're not saying that they're not going to be good enough to
get into the playoffs. We're just saying they're not gonna be good enough to
make us take them seriously about contending when all of the hoop lah was around
them getting down Vin Mitchell to help put them over the top. So unless
JB. Bickerstaff figures out a way to kind of change that, you know,
navigate through that or you know, maybe change the dynamic of how they
score that basketball or you know who they're you know who that ball goes through
in order for them to get to that status, I'm gonna always hang on
the idea that part of the reason why we're gonna never take the Cleveland Cavaliers
seriously is because I don't know if we can take Evan Mobley seriously and and
the parts around that team, if it's gonna come together in a way for
them to be the type of contenders that we think that they're going to be.
Even if they they fall into the Tier three, like not dominate to
get to the Tier three they fall into it, we're gonna always say,
well, they're gonna be knocked out in the first round. Maybe they'll get
to the semi final round, but we'll never feel confident about them getting to
an Eastern Conference championship unless all of their players, Garland, Mitchell, and
Mobley are clicking on all cylinders. Well, I said in the beginning of
the year, I think Mobley needed to be at a twenty point per game
clip. Garland could step down from that and maybe even up as assist.
But again they've missed five games to begin the season. Garland did and as
did Mitchell, so I think again it's continuity that needs to be situated here.
I am going to stand on and continue to talk about Garland being the
guy that needs to step back to allow Mobley to progress, I think offensively.
But at the same time, as you're alluding to MOBLEI has to want
it. JB. Brickerstuff has to put him into positions and essence to be
successful as well. But I think between all of those factors that has to
click in a way that allows him to be successful. So he has to
want it, be put in a position in essence to get there as well
too, and that somewhat is going to be at the behest if you will
U. JB. Bickerstap and even dere As Garland when they're on the floor
together. Absolutely your tune to the baseline. Calie Warnshaw discussing the hot button
topics of the NBA, and this is our talk ish or abandoned Ship episode
where we're basically revisiting some of our predictions and analysis earlier this year and seeing
how whether or not they're coming to fruition if we can continue to keep talking
at issue, or it's time for us to you know, saying, walk
that plank and get off the boat with them. All right, y'all,
let's talk about the Houston Rockets. Right this is a Houston Rockets team that
has surprised a lot of people. They're playing basically five hundred basketball like right
now as they're recording their game under five hundred. But I don't think anybody
anticipated them to be as competitive as they have been already the early outset of
this season and in the gauntlet of the Western Conference, we really thought that
they were going to be, you know, the whipping boy for you know,
for most of the top tier teams. But they have been holding their
own. So do we still consider them a Tier five type type basketball team
Shaw or are we looking at them as a team to take seriously and we
abandon ship on that earlier prediction. See, I mean, I'm going to
qualify I'm gonna take them seriously, but not in the essence of like,
you know, they're jumping into a home court advantage in the Western Conference on
charted warders, right, So this is a basketball team that's better than expected,
but there's still some struggling and very concerning things that are happening. As
we record just a game under five hundred, but they have lost every single
game on the road. So they are eight and nine and they are are
zero to eight on the road. That's not good basketball. Despite the discipline
that the Ydoka has put into place, they are one of the top defensive
teams in the league, which we kind of expected them to take a leap,
but maybe not to this level at this at this great of depth,
this fast. So those are things that they can absolutely continue to build on.
I think Jillen Green is still struggling to find his role within this offense.
We haven't seen the level of consistency there, but that's because Shanggun has
been so dominant and so good kind of controlling that offense. As I can
continue to say as the great value brand of Yokich, Dylan Brooks has been
really good from the three point line for the most part, and there's a
lot of great habits there. So I think if Jalen Green specifically can give
them some level of consistency offensively, they get Torresan back and he plays healthy,
and guys like that, then this is a team that can get out
of that Tier five where we have the where they be absolutely no shot,
when they can actually you know, make some noise and maybe maybe maybe fight
for a play in here too. So I'm definitely gonna abandon ship from our
earlier prediction that they would have been competing for a number one draft pick this
year, because I think they're a lot better than that, as they've shown
here this season. Yeah, I'm going to abandon ship on the belief of
them being a Tier five basketball team, But I'm gonna still continue to talk
some ish about the dynamic of this team a little bit because I'm still I'm
still curious and still waiting to see what this team really could potentially look like.
And the reason why I say that is because you know how the makeup
or the identity of some teams can be seen through who you draft, It
could be seen through who you acquire through free agency. You know there's a
this makeup of this team is a very unusual team. I think about the
movie like the Losers or the unusual suspects, right where you take a band
of mishaps, outcasts, you throw them all together and you basically say,
what do we got to Like the Replacements, you take a band of mishaps
and you say, you put them all together and they have like this one
magical season that opens up everyone's eyes. But then you know, to the
real people who kind of really look at the makeup of this team, the
dynamic of this team, and what's driving them, and what's motivating them,
and what is it sustainable through the course of you know, the next couple
of seasons, and I would be interested to see whether or not what they're
doing is sustainable and is it sustainable in that Western Conference? Clearly it's not.
I was gonna push back on you on the on the settiment shaw about
you know, when you look at this team, this team can't win on
the road. Here's the funny part. You look at the Golden State Warriors.
This is a team right like that that likes to play on the road
now, but can't freaking win at home. You know what I'm saying,
Like you look at their home and road record, it's just ridiculous and last
year this was the Warriors were a team that could not win on the road
for crap, you know what I'm saying. But they were most dominant at
home. So it's kind of funny how this all plays out. I'm sure
that the games and their scheduling will kind of level that off a little bit.
But you know, I just look at the team in and of itself,
and while they are showing you better defensive effort, which I think that's
the question here, Like what you were getting from the previous iterations of the
Houston Rockets team is just effortless defensive basketball. And clearly Udoka has implemented and
put more onus on those guys, holding more accountability that they should be better
effort being played on the defensive side. But you can clearly see they're struggling
to score that basketball, and part of it is because a lot of those
guys now are playing on this roster. You can see where their liability to
shoot the three, their reliability to hit mid range jump shots, some of
it can be clearly compromised. To me, you have the only one dominant
presence in Alfred Sangoun, who's showing you that he can be a matchup problem
to the opposition, you know what I'm saying, and can be a go
to guy in certain respects, but he's still learning how to play this game.
He's still learning to evolve. So all of it is going to have
to come together, and it's going to be interesting to see if you caund
Doka make can can make that happen within that very first season like he did
with the Boston Celtics. And I think again right now, what fifth in
defensive rating, so on immediate impact, I think on that side, but
the offense has got to come around and be more consistent. I think ven
Vlik can obviously shoot it a little bit better right now shooting four percent,
but we know his percentages have been down even from the Toronto days, So
Lea's got to figure out a way to get more efficient and better shots to
get that shot to fall a little bit more often. Jabari Smith has played
pretty well here in this season, so I don't think there's anything this needs
out there too. It really stems from hand jealing. Green and Van Bleet
give them better offensive efficiency offensively, and that'll help Shangoon even more. And
even with that going on, Shangoon still almost averaging six assists, so you
know, and those are gonna be the guys he's primarily passing to n Jabbari
and the Dylan Brooks out for cutting and then Tory Easton as well too as
he works his way back, you know, from injury. I really like
this Rockets team. They still need a men Thompson to get back at well
at some point too, you know, their young rookie. Uh and I
think there's a possibility for this team to to hover around five hundred as you
are here now, which would put them all above the tier that we originally
put them in, and like I said, can have them fighting for a
play and spot. And I think that'd be a huge step forward for this
Rockets team has lacked a lot of discipline and a lot of just you know,
real professionalism in the years previous to this. So and I will continue
our conversation and then kind of prove a little bit more in our segment of
Talk issu or Abandoned Ish So don't go away, We are back Cali Warrants
Shaw Baseline NBA Podcasts and our segment of Talk Issue or Abandoned Shipshaw as we
continue to keep it moving. So let's talk about this Dallas Mavericks, right
man. Like I mentioned before, about the dynamic of this team and what's
happened. And to me, I'm I'm completely flummoxed, Like I have no
idea what, you know, maybe we said something I don't want to Yeah,
I don't want to be tooting on horned, you know what I'm saying.
I would hate to think that they were motivated by our you know,
double speak. But uh, the Dallas Mavericks, man, I've obviously shocked
a lot of people as being one of the top tier teams in the Western
Conference. At the early outset of the season, we had them predicted as
a Tier four team. Shaw talk ish or abandon ship on the Dallas Mavericks
talking ish man. Listen, Luca came out the gate, John Blaize,
you know, man on fire, the whole nine h shout out to him.
Just had his first child. I mean, he's still hooping. But
they still have some levels of inconsistency, you know, defensively while they're eighth
in offense or twenty second in defense. And I just still think this fight
the hot start and things have looked a little better than I would have expected.
I still think this is a team that is at the play in line.
So right now they're six in the Western Conference, which isn't mad,
you know, eleven and eight. There's some other teams in the West that
probably should be better they than they've shown thus far. And I think if
those teams start to get better, that probably pushes Dallas is down back to
where we originally had them. So I don't think this is a bad basketball
team. I just think there are teams that are better overall in the Western
Conference and they probably haven't shown those shops just yet. With the exception of
Memphis, who we spoke about last week, and you know, no reason
even to bring them up here in terms of the talkie short bandonship conversation.
So everybody else to Golden State, the Lakers, et cetera, all those
teams could probably better. They've shown we should make it tougher for Dallas to
stay in that succeeed that they ask at they're currently in right now. Yeah,
So I'm gonna act. I'm gonna make like our you know, our
partnership with Bluevoo Footwear, and I'm I'm gonna step lightly on my sustainable thought
about the Tier four with the Dallas Mavericks. I am going to agree with
you on this sediment, Shaw that I think because of the struggles for most
teams in the Western Conference, it has helped the Dallas Mavericks get elevated to
a degree where we should take them seriously. But I think the makeup of
this team and through the long haul of the course of this NBA season,
I think this is a team who will show susceptibility and fall back into place.
Now with that being said, I think the greater question is is is
this the year that we actually take to Luka Doncic seriously for MVP consideration?
And I think that question will be answered when we see another stretch of games
where Luka donca just shows the type of dominance that he showed in the early
outset of this season, because you can clearly tell that when he's playing at
that level, the Dallas Mavericks can clearly be a better basketball team. With
that being said, the Dallas Mavericks have to be a better basketball team if
there is is any hope for them to be a player in playing let alone
be a playoff basketball team. Right So, and it's hard to say whether
or not doncach Is at that level because we said that that's probably what's going
to need to happen for Jokic. We said that that's probably what's going to
need to happen for MB You know what I'm saying that like, it's not
just doing it for six seven games and then falling off the face of the
earth for another twenty and then coming back and then showing the level of MVP
dominance that you're capable of. It's being able to do it sustainably through the
course of an NBA season where they'll take you seriously. So to me,
I agree with you. I'm not going to abandon ship on our sediment about
where we see the Dallas Mavericks. But the only reason why I feel like
that is because they are better teams who I think will figure this thing out,
and from a talent perspective, we still have not seen the rest of
the roster show that they're going to be able to compete on that level through
the course of an eighty two game season where you look at the record by
season's end and say, the Dallas Mavericks are among the best teams you know
in the in the Western Conference. I just don't see that, you know.
But I will see stretches where they look like a really really good basketball
team and they'll compete. But then you'll see stretches like you know, where
they'll be down like they were the other night against the oak I'm sorry,
the Yeah, the Oklahoma City Thunder and they had to go on a thirty
and oh run and still take that l You come back from a thirty zero
deficit, you win that basketball game. But this is what happens when you
don't compete and you have to struggle so mightily and rely on your MVP player
to walk to get you through that that line. If he has nothing left
in the tank, someone else has got to step up and do that.
And you're just not seeing that collectively happen with this team. So you know,
this is a Mavericks team. Shaw that I You know again, you
can see glimpses of goodness, but it's hard pressed to tell me you're gonna
see glimpses of greatness by the time we get to the end of the season.
Well, interesting, in that thirty Oho run, there's a Carrier bring
joke to be made because he was unavailable for that game. So I think
if you're looking for that aspect of having you know, his secondary running mate,
that should be Kyrie. He's played fifteen games this year, so he
hasn't missed a large part of the season. But at the end of the
day, ironically, and they get down by twenty six or whatever it was,
to okay, see you have to go in a thirty thirty old run
only to lose that game still by six and then in the closing minutes.
I think it's rough. It takes a lot out of you. But had
he had a guy like Kyrie, maybe they're maybe they're not down twenty six
to begin with, or if they go on that thirty zero run, you
have somebody else who can take some pressure off of that. So that's something
to continue to watch. I think when it comes to Dallas Mavericks, you
know, will that dynamic ultimately play itself out to be fruitful for Luca and
Kyrie and Tim Harneway. Right now, you know, leading the leading the
league and bench scoring, so probably the front runner, if you will,
for six Men of the year because he'scoring the most points off the bench.
If he can continue in that in that space, then Dallas will have a
better season, I think than you and I predicted, but I still feel
they're going to regress here a little bit to the mean because their defense isn't
up to snuff in any capacity to my liking. And I think there's still
some levels of offense here now that we've seen that have maybe been a little
bit a little bit more to their liking. And I don't know if they'll
be able to keep up that level of consistency as that they've shown here.
But lucas great and we'll be in the MVP conversation, but they need Kyrie
to kind of be that running mate here to kind of keep things even at
status COO as they are currently. Real quick question for you Shaw, you
have more confidence that New Orleans Pelicans will have a better record by seasons and
than the Dallas Mavericks and the Repelicans have this have have the same issue,
but only to a larger degree. Can can their core stay healthy? Ingram
McCallum zion, even Valentiunists, Valentiunis has been healthy, but they need all
those guys and to me, there's more variables there that make it harder.
But New Orleans is this weird team that can beat anybody or lose anybody,
So that makes me nervous for the Pelicans, And uh, you know what,
I would probably downgrade them had I had the confidence even put them in
this list here, So I probably would be an abandoned ship on my level
of confidence on the Pelicans. Impromptu talk issue abandoned ship because I don't know
I whether or not we actually had Zion Williamson in a conversation of saying Zion
Williamson will ever win an MVP at some point through his NBA career. But
I'm gonna put you on the spot real quick, Shaw, would you talk
ish or abandoned ship on the idea that Zion Williamson will win an NBA MVP
award. I don't even feel like I'm putting on the spot. I would
abandon ship on that all day. There's there's no there's nothing about what we've
seen thus far. Yes, he's had won the one dominant season, but
do we ever think he's actually gonna play sixty five full games? And with
the comments he made earlier in the year when they were really struggling in terms
of trying to get on board and trying to figure it out, and those
types of things concerned me and not say that he can't figure it out.
But if you're asking me right here today, in December, in the year
of twenty twenty three, that's that's a that's a hell no, I don't
think he's an MVP candidate in waiting. Isn't it amazing that during this time
span we don't hear people talking right the same people, people that were bigging
him up, you know, Shack, all of these cats talking about,
Oh, you know, he's the next guy in the line, he's gonna
you know, we don't hear him talking like that. You know what I'm
saying. They'll get to a point where they'll talk talk about him and what
he's not doing, but they'll not acknowledge the fact that they had already had
this dude de sended to be winning MVP titles, and what we kept saying,
just wait, just wait. You know what I'm saying. I mean,
it's this guy. He can be dominant, but it doesn't mean that
he can be MVP level, and it doesn't mean that he can't be capable
of it. But I just don't see someone I just don't see it in
him where he's gonna go out there, and he's gonna be your MVP kind
of guy. He's a guy you compliment with, you pair him with someone,
maybe an MVP like kind of player, to allow him to be dominant.
But he is not that. He is not that dude. Man,
He's not And I'm not saying to be disrespectful, but I think it highlights
what we're talking about. I have more confidence that Lukadankic will win an mv
in an NBA MVP Trophy before Zion Williamson. Yeah, the odds makers on
that. I know they would not have to work very hard, so you
probably have to wager a whole lot to even gain money on it. On
that specific bet. The Pelicans are definitely going to be a team that's the
sum of their parts, and while Zion will be a straw if you will,
that serves that proverbial drink. I just I agree where I don't think
he's the lead guys. It's the combination, the cullumination of all the guys
there that can make the Pelicans successful, especially with him being healthy and playing
well. But I don't think that he's in an MVP stage right now,
and I think we have a long long way to go before we get there.
That doesn't mean he won't have a great career, doesn't mean he won't
even be at all NBA and All Stars, etc. Etc. But you
think about MVP, that's a very very special designation and we're just a long
ways away from that right now. Absolutely all right, Shaw, final talk
ish or abandoned ship? The team edition of the segment Los Angeles Lakers.
We had them pegged as being a Tier one team. Are you continuing to
talk that, ish or are you ready to abandon ship on the Los Angeles
Lakers being one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Let me be
very clear, I'm gone, I'm out of here road runner style. You
mean you were already you were already loosening the rope on the on the on
the life raft that I had set up earlier. Is that what you were
doing? It is damn bro. You could have given me a heads up.
It's not like I didn't want to jump on that boat with you.
Listen. I I definitely drank the kool aid of what they had going into
the season, and they will tell you, and they're not wrong. They've
had a lot of injuries as well. Kay, Vincent Hotchimoor, etcetera,
etcetera. Guys haven't they haven't had their full compliment. I think the Angel
Russell has been really good for them. Austin Reeves has not taken the leap.
I need abandon ship on that too. I think he's been good,
but I don't think he's been next level. And now he's coming off the
bench because things weren't going. But first five games you heard of Lakers,
Lakers faithful talking about oh no, we need a third star, and I
thought we abandoned that that concept itself. So to hear them saying now that
they felt like, oh well, they need to get into the zach Lavine
conversation or the Derosan conversation or whoever's available conversation to paralongside you know, a
D and Lebron here. Now that's just it's it's indicative of a team that
doesn't have the same level of confidence that and swagger that it did coming into
the season, where everybody, including ourselves here, I thought they were number
one or in the conversation for the Western Conference title. And they can shift
things and make things happen, and no Plinka is known to tinker. I
think, as we've seen here in the short time here, but as currently
constructed, this is not a team that I would be confident in talking the
issue about them being at the top of the Western Conference. Yeah, so
I'm abandoning ship and I'm putting that. I'm like I'm setting a ship on
a blaze, Like I'm trying to tell people they need to get up off
this ship. I'm trying to help, you know what I'm saying, Like
the Titanic. I'm trying to direct people, you know what I'm saying,
and tell people you need to get off this ship as soon as possible because
something bad's gonna happen, right, And I think that this is what's going
to take place now. I'm not saying that this is, you know,
a dumpster fire. It hasn't. It's not about that. I think that
this is a team that is going to They'll be relevant, right, they
will be competitive. But I think there's a whole lot of overblown hype about
whether or not this team collectively can come together and really be as good as
what they showed you at the end of last year. And I think that's
kind of you know, rare in his ugly head a little bit first and
foremost the only mistake, and I questioned it, but I you know,
again, you know, I could be either or about it. The fact
that they retained D'Angelo Russell, he to me, just is not the right
point guard for that type of offense. I don't think that he completely is
comfortable in setting up and elevating the pace of play with the talent that the
Lakers have for them to play at the optimal level that is necessary for us
to believe in them being a top tier, top tier team. I'm not
putting the blame on him. What I'm saying is is that it does start
with the head with with the point guard. You know, his way of
playing and his pace of play just doesn't roll with what you normally see from
a team that you have a Lebron James and an Anthony Davis and a Jared
Vanderbilt and a bunch of other these and even with Austin Reeves, I think
Austin Reeves has been the one who's most been compromised by the style of play
that D'Angelo Russell, you know, and his pace and what he does on
the basketball court. With all that being said, it does not absolve and
it does not excuse the fact that this team just clearly struggles and does not
consistently score the basketball at a clip that makes you feel confident that when you
play against the likes of the Phoenix Suns, against the Denver Nuggets, against
the Minnesota Timberwolves, that they're going to be able to keep pace. So
the only other way that they're going to be able to show that they can
beat those teams is that they have to be better defensively, which you're clearly
seeing that they're not, even with Anthony Davis, who Again, the bigger
question mark with Anthony Davis is what version of Anthony Davis do you see coming
out on that basketball court on a night in, night out basis, because
he clearly does not want to be the man for the Lakers. He says
that, and everyone wants to pump him to be that way, but that's
just not how he's built. That's just not his m O, you know
what I'm saying. So you need something else, You need another dominant,
imposing presence outside of Lebron James that will give the team the confidence that they
don't have to rely on Anthony Davis showing up to be Anthony Davis that there
are other players who are going to play at that kind of level to supplement
that. And I think it's going to be hard for Darvin Ham to find
that. It's hard for Polenka to find that, and it's hard for this
Lakers team to kind of see that happen as they go through this gauntlet of
these other styles of teams that they're competing against, in the likes of the
Kings and the Warriors and all of these other teams where they're mismatched, problems
in other phases on the court that they can't account for, and that the
talent is not there susceptibly to be able to hang with that. So that's
the struggle with the Lakers. Are they maybe a two to three tier team?
Yes? Tier one absolutely not. I think all very well said.
So if they make the moves and you know, trade a Austin Reeves and
Brewery for for zach lavine, that gives them some offensive firepower, it would
force other guys to step up because they will lose some depth there. But
we'll we'll see. I don't think this Lers seam is going to stand pack.
There's still three games above five hundred here as we record. But I
just don't think as you alluded to, they're at the top of the Western
Conference in the way that we were expecting them to be. But maybe if
they get their guys back, they'll prove this take wrong here. But right
now we're both abandoned and ship absolutely all right. Coming up, Sean and
I will do a fly through on our talk ish abandoned ship on some of
our individual player predictions and what they've been doing already at the early outside of
the season. So are we going to continue to talk our issue about them
or is it time for us to abandon ship on those on those predictions you
don't want to miss out here on the baseline, We're back Cali Wardshaw Baseline
NBA Podcast as we continue on with talk ish or abandoned shit. But before
we do that, hey, for all of our NBA heads, are you
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Shaw, So as we continue our conversation on talk ish or abandoned Ship,
let's start with our man the Unicorn, Chris STAPs Porzingis and his role
acceptance. I had been very skeptical about that. Obviously, I was not
completely keen on this trade. The Boston Celtics are among the best teams.
There have been a few games when Porzingis has missed out due to some injury,
as expected, But the bigger issue is whether or not him accepting to
be that third guy on a team that already has clear offensive firepower. I'm
going to abandon ship on my earlier segment, I think that he is a
great complimentary piece. It'll it'll be hard to say whether or not he is
going to be a key piece that is going to help move this team to
that you know, NBA Finals conversation, get them back into the NBA Finals.
We'll have to see, like what his production is going to look like.
But to say that he can't fit in with what the Celtics need had
wanted and it not bear fruition, I got to eat my words on that.
Good on Brad Stevens on making this deal. I think that he works
well with those guys and will continue to get better at doing it, and
we'll be it'll be interesting to see if whether or not his his output at
that four or five level is one that causes those type of problems that can
help put the Celtics over the top and get past you know, teams like
the Sixers and the Bucks and the and the Heat with ease, and really
it'll only be a question of who they match up with against in the Western
Conference. Yeah, I'm only going to support you in the aspect of,
like, hey, I thought it would potentially work out. I think have
been maybe a little surprised at the way Jaylen Brown has struggled, so I
think his role has been hard for him to accept. I think with Porzingis
being there, so Perzingis in a lot of ways is the third option,
but has functioned almost like a two B. But he's been super efficient,
so I think it's just looking at the shot diet. Perzingis is definitely the
three, but he's putting up comparable numbers points wise to Jaalen, just with
better efficiency. So Jaalen is the one I think who's struggling the most.
But they have a great actually report amongst themselves, Brown and Porzingish, So
when Porzengis gets back out there, I think, you know that will continue
to flourish as the Celtics continue to build that chemistry. But they've used Porzingis
as a lob threat, which I didn't necessary expect coming into this, and
he's been pretty good I think, defensively blocking a lot of shots and some
key blocks here to win a couple of games as well too, So I
think, really good, good job there too, a little better than I
would have expected. So I'm glad to see that you've come around here on
KP on Boston. Yeah, yeah, man, I kind of swerved around
the corner to coming around to that sediment. I will say this though,
an extension to your point and an extension to where I'm coming from why I've
abandoned shipped on my earlier sediment. I don't think this happens if Brad Stevens
doesn't pull the trigger on bringing Drew Holliday onto this roster. And look,
we're not going to be talking about Jew Holiday in any MVP kind of conversation.
He's not going to be in any Most Improved awards. And I don't
know what awards you're gonna say, but I'm gonna tell you as far as
bringing together a really eclectic group of guys in the first year who's impacting a
starting roster like what the Celtics have had to do to overhaul that ross in
some respects, I think that Drew Holliday may wind up winning the MVP Award
like what he's been able to do. I don't think you get this kind
of production from Portzegis unless you have a Drew Holliday. Now, I'm sure
that they were probably leaning on Derek White kind of being that guy. You
see he's getting extensive minutes. I mean, this guy is a Swiss Army
Knife like of the likes I don't think I've seen in quite some time.
I mean, they weren't even using Malcolm Brogden the way that they're using Derek
White, which tells you the confidence that Missoula has in Derek White. But
when you look at the way that this team is playing cohesively, the backcourt
of the Boston Celtics is so essentially important. He makes that team. They
make that team go. Man. They and maybe to some degree that's part
of why Jalen Brown is struggling a little bit. But I'll take that because
I think he will eventually figure it out. But the combination of Drew Holliday
and Derek White cannot be overlooked as far as us seeing the productivity and efficiency
that we're getting from Porzingis and also the quality shots selection and MVP level elevation
I want to say, moderate MVP level elevation of Jason Tatum that we've already
seen in early outside of this season. Good call. They're a good call.
I'm gonna do an inshow audible here cl and say let's skip the MVP
conversation because you know, let's let's be a little better than some of these
other shows out there and wanting to talk about MVP so early on, and
let's but let's go into the Coach of the Year selection. You know whether
or not I'm going to talk issue or abandoned ship here and well, okay,
see, Thunder are sitting second in the Western Conference. I picked Mark
dak and now TV coach of the Year save Jamal Mosley. I don't know
there's somebody doing a better job, So I'm gonna talk ish Man. I
think you know, what he's got going on there with OKAC is truly a
testament to how they've been able to figure out their their roles, what he
has instituting them with them offensively and defensively. Chet Holmgren has been, you
know, right there amongst the Rookie of the Year conversation. Ja Dove,
Jaellen Williams has taking another leap here in his second year, and shake GILJS
Alexander is firmly within the MVP conversation. So all of those things lead,
okay, see to right now second in the Western Conference. And I would
be crazy to walk away from that. And I'm thinking that Dagonaal and Company
H Dagnault rather in company can can maintain some levels of excellence this year,
and not saying they'll be second in the Western Conference all year, but where
I see this as a team that's going to be fronting within the playoff position
and not fighting to get in here, which will give him an opportunity to
win that coach, I gotta ask you this question, Shaw, since you
decided to UH to bring up home Gren, how realistic do you think it
will be for Homegreen to win Rookie of the Year. I think there's a
realistic shot, man like it. And I know people on the surface go
to just look at how badly the San Antonio Spurs are playing, but something
has to be said that Homegren has been key to this team's ability to be
where there are and his numbers are very compared rib to winm Beanyana's man,
and so it'd be hard pressed for me that to think. And do you
think it would be the greatest upset in the world with the hype that has
already been given to win Benyama, if home Grin winds up being Rookie of
the Year over him, I don't think it's the greatest subset in the world.
There'd be some people were com solely disappointed. I just think Chet is
fighting a super uphill battle because of that hype train. You know that is
going on there, But you know, ONMO, what is it, eighteen
and eight and two cysts, two blocks, I'm just saying, yeah,
no, there's, there's there's. There's a lot of teeth to that argument,
and a team that's winning, he's and he's essential to that team winning
in the way that there are. I just think because he's not as freakish
and it's probably not going to be on as many highlights as wemb is,
that the hype train might have already like it just left the station. So
I agree, I agree. I thought Chet was going to be in this
thing from the very beginning and and and should be and will be to the
very end as well too. But as I've seen it play out so far
these first twenty plus games from a media standpoint, while people appreciate that,
there's just still awe struck by what Wemby's doing. And I think that awe
is probably what's going to carry over to the votes when it comes to Rookie
of the Year, assuming he can get to the sixty five games, assuming
most of them can get to the sixty five games minimum that's now in place.
This is gonna be interesting, seaw, it really is gonna be interesting.
We might have to we have to, you know, put this one
on the shelf for a revisited talk ish or abandoned ship. But you know
what I'm saying, I'm liking what I'm seeing from Check. I really am.
He's he's he's he's showing me some things. Bro, He's showing me
some things, all right, Shaw. So as we continue our conversation on
some talk ish or abandoned ship, let's go to six Man of the Year.
My prediction was Malik Monk. I'm gonna continue to talk my ish about
Malik. I think, you know, Malik Monk is still, you know,
in a position where he can clearly be a key guy. I know
that there has been rummaging about the struggles with worder in the starting lineup,
and even Malik Monk to some degree, is somewhat struggle. The Kings,
you know, have struggled a little bit out of the gate. I still
think that there's plenty of basketball left, and there's pretty plenty of competitive play
still to be had. So I'm gonna continue to talk about ish that Milik
Monk will wind up still being six Man of the Year, But I think
the potential of that has been jeopardized now by the expansive pool of quality play
coming off of the bench from other teams. If that makes sense. Yeah,
I mean, and I had touched on it already. I think my
pick was it was e Manual quickly and he's still ride up there, but
Bogdanovich tim Hardaway Junior as a little bit earlier. Those guys are right now
scoring more. If those trends continue, then again, the history tells us
that the guy who scores the most isn't more or less going to be the
six Men of the year. Austin Reeves unexpectedly has moved into this role while
he's not scoring at a high clip, and not that he's a back clip
at thirteen point seven. He's shooting pretty low from three point land, but
he's doing everything. He's almost aftering five assistant five rebounds a game. So
for us, we'll we like, hey, can it get to somebody who
does a little bit of everything. Austin Reeves could sneak into this conversation here
too, So I appreciate you, you know, talking that, Ish,
and there's no reason not to. But as you alluded to, there's a
lot of people who have ventured the proverbial chat here on this conversation that we
didn't necessarily expect to come into it going into the season, even guy like
col Anthony and Orlando. So if they continue to have that success and he
continues to come off the bench, there's no arrieting that's going to come along
with that conversation. Yeah, you know me, I'm the hype man,
right, so I have no problem with hyping up you know what I'm saying.
I guess who is that is supposed to be at the top of the
line, so that these guys have know who they chasing, right so they
once they get that award though, they know who to pay the royalties to,
all right, So I have no problems with that. Whatso I like
that your tube to debate like Callie a wards shot discussing the hot button tops
of the NBA. All right, Shaw, So our final talk ish and
abandoned ship, And I'm glad you saved this one as the last one because
this was a really great conversation that we had in our predictions, our awards
predictions, right, and we said that there had to be a scenario that
would allow us to play itself out for it to be a realistic conversation.
So in our talk Istion abandoned Ship, we had the most Improved Player year
of the award. You looked at Alfred Sengoon for the Houston Rockets, and
I looked at Tyrese Maxi, and the caveat to what we were saying is
that the only way that we can realistically see well, I'm sorry you said
that. The only way that is realistic for the Philadelphia seventy six ers to
for Maxi to be in that conversation is something has to happen to James Harden
and lo and behold, after we had that episode, something happened to James
Harden, Right. So now, based on our predictions, are you going
to continue to talk issu or abandon ship on Singoon? And obviously, when
I continue to look at it's going on with Tyris Maxie, am I going
to continue to talk my issue or abandon ship on Maxi being most improved?
Well, you'd be crazy to abandon ship on Tyers, right, I would
have to be on some Lucy Juice, right exactly, Okay, things have
broken exceptionally well. I think for for your selection, I did nicely for
me, you know what I'm saying. I'm right in a very nice way
right about now. Yes, And while I did qualify it, and that
qualification to come to fruition, I'm going to continue to talk my ish about
Shanhu as well. You should end and I think you know, at twenty
one, ten and five a game here, that is that's that's that's next
level stuff here, and even with the league's best player, if you will,
roaming the in Denver, I feel like Shangun's going to have a chance
to be an All Star this year and therefore really be in the midst of
that conversation. This is the thing right now. I don't know how you
choose between either one of those guys. And I actually would not split up
a word. And this is not me just trying to be dodgy or I
don't want to really make an answer. I think they're both deserving, and
I split that award right down in the middle because they're both deserving. But
MAXI is a certified baller. That guy is a boss. He is a
blur on the basketball court. He does everything with a great attitude, great
compliment to Joel Embiid. I have nothing but gloring things to say about him.
But I'm not going to just throw my guys she Gooon under the bus
because twenty one, ten and five is pretty damn good as well. Okay,
So let me go ahead and for you Shaw, because I don't think
a lot of people put Singgoon on that radar. I think a lot of
people expected him to vastly improve, but not improve to this level. So
and this conversation again doesn't happen until you elevate his name in that conversation.
I think it was easy for us to want Maxi to be in that conversation,
but again, given the circumstances, it was hard pressed to see if
whether or not a guy like Nick Nurse would be willing to pull the trigger
and actually hand the reins over to Tyrese Maxey and say I want you to
work with Joel Embiid. Now, I don't know ifl Embiid had any say
in this, don't care. All I'm saying is is to your point,
we're finally seeing the best versions of what a Tyrese Maxi on your roster looks
like and that to me is All Star Maxie right, Like He's gonna be
in the All Star team this year, no question. Okay, but I'm
gonna go even one step further. I'm gonna top my issue with one step
further. I think he may be the key reason that Joel Embiid will take
consideration of coming back to the Philadelphia seventy six ers, because you don't go
through these growing pains unless you have the confidence that there's one, two,
three players in that locker room who you can clearly see are becoming better players,
especially after you've gone out and gotten yourself an MVP trophy. And that
MVP trophy wasn't, you know because of James Harden, that was because of
Tyrese Maxi. You know what I'm saying. Tyrese Maxi has been through the
wars, sitting on the bench and eventually being on that starting lineup and putting
Joel Embiid in the best positions possible in most times. So I feel like
this could really elevate the conversation. Now this is gonna isn't going to carry
into any measures about being most improved for him, the numbers speak for itselfs
whether or not Tyrese Maxey actually wins it or to your point, show it
can go to Alfred Sengoon. All good on either side of it, because
we essentially were predicting that it would take these two players to really elevate the
conversation to validate that trophy whoever winds up winning it. But for the Philadelphia
seventy six ers, it is so critically important because if they're going to keep
pace with the likes of the Celtics, with the likes of the Bucks,
with the likes of the Heat, it has to be with the level of
play that Tyrese Maxie is playing next to JOELMBI. Yeah, well, listen
twenty seven a game I sat here and just speaking with Gary Washman on another
show that did you know covering the Celtics and they're scary basketball team. Yeah,
there's no answer for him right now. So him blitzing you and getting
you twenty seven is not just happenstance. This is kind of who he is
or who he's become right now. And yeah, he's got finish out the
rest of the year and be healthy and the whole line and do that but
there's no reason to think that he won't finish at least above twenty five per
game at that six to seven assistant Martin margin, you know, and right
now his assistant he doesn't really turn the ball over as well too, So
he does that he plays at the speed at which he plays at, you
know, one of the fastest guys in the league, and stays within control
almost ninety percent from the free throw line as well to forty percent from three.
Like, what are we doing this guy is? He's really really good.
And I agree with you that gives should give and be all the incentive
to feel like, yeah, I can make Philadelphia my home. There's a
couple more tweaks on the margins here and the Sixers team. I think it's
going to be right there in the thick of the conversation you're in the conference.
Oh man, who this has been a good one, man, this
has been This is a very very good episode. Man. I like when
we put our proverbial minds together to come up with the diabolicalness of bringing these
kinds of conversations to our listeners. Man, this is this has been one
hell of a hell of a either way, you know what I'm saying we're
gonna have to start elevating our our when we are abandoned and ship man.
I think I think I said life wrap. I think we need a speed
boat, we need we need to start being a little more lavish and with
our escape mechanisms. Yeah, man, live in the NBA lifestyle. I'm
all about that. But hopefully our fans letters will definitely happen. Let us
know what takes you are a talking ish or abandoned and ship on and if
you agree with our assessment, you know, are we are we jumping ship
too early you're only twenty games into the season, or are these trends you
know? We are going to be the norm here for those who we are
no longer kind of backing with our original takes. Let us know here.
Make sure you hit us up on Instagram at NBA unscore based or on x
at NBA baseline. Absolutely, once again, we like to thank you and
you are for the baseline, Cali Warrenshaw. We appreciate you guys, you
know we do, and we'll catch up with you next time. Spected Protected Service TECT