This is the baseline, discussing the hot button topics of the nb A.
Welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline. Cali warn Shaw discussing the hot
button topics of the NBA. Who is that time of the year? Man?
NBA basketball tip off started, the NBA season, were getting hyped for
it? Man? And if you guys have been checking out the previews,
right we previewed the Eastern Conference, we previewed the Western Conference. So what
follows up right after that word previews? You know, we can't. We
can't. You know what I'm saying, be true to the name, be
true to the game, unless we actually start calling out who we think might
be hoisting trophies by this time of the year by the end of the year.
So let me go and roll out the red copper to my right hand
man's www. Dot Shaw Sports Dynamic on the PNC. My man, mister
Warrenshaw, repping out of Fort Lauderdville, Florida. What's good, mister Shaw?
I know, man, you're just chomping at the bit. Man.
You know what I'm saying. You're lining everything up right for that opening night?
You know what I'm saying. Got the appetized, is ready, got
the libations ready, you know what I'm saying, got the got the multi
view set up properly. Man, you make it, you make it.
You're making me sad, brother, because ironically, I think, as as
you know, I'll be actually uh taking a little trip, say a little
hiatus the night the season be against season begins, a Liter'll literally be on
a plane looking at it on the screen, probably about this big, you
know. But I definitely on different and in different seats, right Like my
wife will not be My wife will not allow There'll be no basketball on her
seats at all. There will be more housewives or something of that nature,
you know, some some sort of comedy that will be on their lives.
Yeah something, Yeah, she's into that too. So in any event,
I will be regulated to whatever laptop or whatever device Delta has and whatever games
are available I think on tntien. So but I'm excited to tell as you
lude to the NBA season is actually upon us no more you know, himming
and hwing and trying to figure out more or less are about to kick it
off here, right, So exciting times here and we bring back here now
are awards, previews and some predictions as well to that will help us kind
of matricly through the NBA. Cson, Yeah, absolutely, man, And
look, we are always appreciative and we get to this point because you know
that means we're in it, right, We're we're vested in it. We're
invested in the season. And it's another season of the Baseline NBA podcast,
you know what I'm saying, kicking things off and rolling, you know,
with the NBA culture, you know, in their journey as well too.
Before we begin, man, I want to make sure I give a special
shout out, you know, to the lost the Las Vegas Aces. Their
impressive run to now be two time w NBA champions are unprecedented. Shout out
to Beki Hammond and the and the girls out there. Man, they did
their thing, they bawled out. And then also a shout out to the
New York Liberty. I believe it's like twenty years uh since they it's been
twenty years since the Aces. We're able to you know, repeat as champions,
but it's been a long time since the New York Liberty had an opportunity
to compete for a w NBA title. And although they fell short, you
still have to be impressed with the roster, and you have to be impressed
with what is I think brewing now in the w NBA culture that we're seeing
like kind of like a Selter laker Field kind of thing where I think organizations
really understand what it's gonna take to put together a championship winning team. And
when you have people like Hammon and you have you know, up and coming
stars like n s school established stars like Wilson and Stewart, you know,
like, to me, it's the culmination of why the growing fandom and emergence
of the w n B a is live and well. And I just want
to make sure that you know, our show especially calls that out and just
gives those kudos, man, because I got an opportunity to watch the w
NBA Finals and it was exciting to watch. It was great basketball being played,
heady basketball, championship caliber basketball, and I'm glad we're getting to that
those stages where that's where we should be looking at our athletes, where the
male or female, that's what they do, that's what they're coming when they
come into these arenas, that's what they're bringing to the court. Man.
Yeah, I think that's very well said they had an amazing season. The
W was it probably had the highest ratings ever. A lot of people I
saw on social media where having conversations about it. Tapping in and those WMA
finals we were pretty exciting. So I have a degree one thousand percent.
I know there's some controversy and some of the uh ironically they're the final season
awards, especially with the MVP you know on that side, but ultimately,
you know, Wilson and Hammond and company were able to kind of get things
done. Also, shout out to Sidney Coulston, she's on that roster and
you know in this aspect. So this would be a little bit of a
Shameles plug for me. But on my other podcast, Dope Interviews, how
To Introd, had a chance to interview Sidney Coulson's co star in the CID
and TP show, So I actually interviewed Teresa Plaisance and Teresa was on the
Las Vegas Aces last year. So the W is in a lot of ways
just getting a lot of great exposure and we want to be able we can
continue to to put that out there. But look out for that interview and
Dope Interviews here with Teresa TP talking about the sit in TP show coming to
It's already actually out on Fuber right now. So a lot of great w
content out there. Absolutely nothing shameless about your work, sir. I think
you should take more bows, if nothing else, Man, because you're making
that. You making that, if nothing else. The only thing shameless is
how easy you make it seem if you were stepfordless before step Steford. As
I said, I learned from watching you. I learned from watching you.
Man. Anyway, Man, We've got a great show on tap for our
listeners and for those who are just coming on board with us. Man,
this is our annual preview of who we think maybe hoisting trophies at the end
of the year. So and then also we're going to tap in on what
we think will be the finalist for this upcoming NBA finals. So great show
on tapping. As always, we appreciate those hopping on board and riding with
the baseline. Be sure to get at us at NBA Baseline, my Manshaw
at Shaw Sports NBA and me at game Face Lead it shows, Twitter handle
at NBA Baseline, go to www. Dot the Baseline NBA dot com if
you want to catch this episode in all the previous episodes. And also if
you're catching us via video on YouTube and you see the nice blue and white
logo, that's the nineteen Media Group rocks with the nineteen Media Group, that's
our family. Be sure to check out not just us, but also the
great content. Especially during the course of the NBA season. We've got some
great shows that are available for you to listen to if your favorite of If
you know you're like listening to the Los Angeles Laker or follow the Los Angeles
Lakers, you know we got a great podcast that covers them, and we
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sports, the hold nine. So go to www Dot nineteen MediaGroup dot
com and be sure to check out not just us but the family of great
content creators that are part of the nineth Media Group. Seaw, We're not
gonna waste any time, man. You know how we roll. Baby.
This is our preview NBA Awards preview edition of the show, and obviously we
got a lot of awards to talk into. So look, we take we
base this especially not just from what our own observations are, but also what
the feel is out there. Through the sportsbook agencies primarily like Fan Duel and
MGM, you know, Caesars and things of that nature. And so you
know, we keep it aligned with the awards that are typically given or provided
by the NBA. So the first one we're gonna start with, Shaw will
be who will be the twenty twenty three, twenty four NBA Coach of the
Year. And if you think of the parody of how the NBA is playing
itself out and the way teams have operated in this offseason, which was,
you know, kind of like real busy, you know, minus the major
names, I think it's opened up the doors now Shaw, for there'd be
quite a few different coaches who have an inside shot possibly to hoist that trophy.
Who is it that you feel has the best chance though to wind up
being Coach of the Year this upcoming season. So just jumping right into it
in terms of how the season, I think how the season will unfold a
lot of times with all of these awards, narrative is probably the biggest factor
into what is how the award is going to ultimately be determined or exposure.
Is the best coach in the NBA by most people's accounts, The NBA G
and the NBA GM survey just came out. He was ordered as that as
well too. They didn't get to make the splashy moves that a lot of
them, A lot of people thought they were going to be able to move
make especial when it comes to Damian Lillard. Spoe is the favorite in terms
of the Vegas odds or what are the case may be. But I'm actually
gonna go with Mark daganaw in at OCC. I think if we're going by
what we said in our Western Conference pre we expect okayc to take a massive
leap, and maybe not massive, but a leap that actually has a potentially
squarely in the in the playoff conversation if that happens, especially with chet being
there the full year, another year of SGA continuing to grow, you know.
Jalen Williams, Josh Getty, I think daganall will get that that nod
if you will. And I think it's just a situation where people kind of
see Okay see coming, but maybe not in the same way that I'm predicting
them, you know, to kind of maybe actually fully capture, you know,
a top six seed in the Western Conference. So if that happens.
I think you can get there, and there's lots of other names that you
can can vander about. But I'll kind of pause there, you know,
because I think you know Mark and Mark daganal and and Okay, se is
Is is primed for a big year. I gotta give it to you,
Shaw, you decided to go right in abillity of the beast. To me,
I would find it interesting because I would probably stay away from anyone in
the Western Conference if you don't have too much confidence in any of the guys,
because all of them have an opportunity Mark Malone, Frank Vogel like,
they all have great opportunities to become coaches of the Year. And I think
a lot of it really plays into the scheduling and where teams are set up.
And then obviously too because of this playing tournament right and I'm sorry playing
tournament, but the NBA Tournament in its inaugural season, there are gonna be
some key games and matchups that I really think is going to highlight, to
your point, Shaw, an advantage from Mark Daganolt to really profile how dangerous
the OKC thunder team can possibly be. So that is a great opportunity I'm
gonna go over to the East Coast Shaw, And I know that this sounds
crazy. I think had not the Milwaukee Bucks made the move that they made
and getting Damian Lillard, I would almost go with JB. Bickerstaff. I
feel like even though he has the longest shot of them, he has the
best equipped team that has the cohesiveness that if they win meaningful games and somehow
our neck and neck with the Milwaukee Bucks like they wore a couple a few
seasons ago, he has that opportunity where he can maybe even catch attention to
people about how good a coach he really is, and him taking that lead
forward to taking getting these guys to play the kind of basketball we're saying it's
gonna take for the Cavaliers to be, you know, relevant in their run,
even though there's still not a lot of confidence in that. So I'm
gonna lean now to Adrian Griffin. I think his team is set up that
if as long as the Milwaukee Bucks show a level of dominance, I think
we're kind of expecting them to take with this team, with this roster,
he will probably wind up being the NBA Coach of the Year because outside of
him it's really to me Missoula and Spolstra and what those rosters look like and
what they look like in the in the grand scheme of things, I think
I have more confidence in Adrian Griffin coming out as a Coach of the Year
if they amassed the amount of wins that we're expecting the Milwaukee Bucks too.
Yeah, I don't have an issue with that that pick at all, because
Milwaukee can obviously challenge for the best worker in the league period, so the
coach should get some some sumblat of credit for that. A little controversy going
into the season, though, you know, right before the weekend, Terry
Stotts, who was an assistant coach on that on that staff, ironically,
after they got Damian Lillard as well too, Stotts resigned and there's an article
out there, I think it's from Shams who's some more or less saying that
Griffin and Stotts more or less had some semblance of a falling out already,
and Stots like, listen, I'm not even going to go to the year
with this bs and he just walked away from that entire situation. So I'm
a little uneasy. And that's not to say that Griffin can overcome. But
I'm a little uneasy about stuff like that going in. But I like that
pick in general because I mean it, but it's a love He's like,
listen, you're either with me or you're against me. Yeah, And rather
than riding guys because they've got you know, you know, notoriety, or
they've got a resume showing that they've been successful in the NBA coaching sphere,
whatever the case may be. You know, I think Adrian Griffin is saying,
Hey, I'm marking my own territory on this, and I'm going to
own whether or not this team is going to be successful. I'm not going
to just lean on the pot politics of what typically happens. And this is
nothing against Terry Stotts, but I to your point, Shaw, and I
think it's an excellent point. But it could also bolster Adrian Griffin much less.
Like we'd said the same thing about Darvin Ham and how he handled the
roster last year with the Los Angeles Lakers. And I know, you know,
to your point, the fact that we might not even be mentioning Darvin
Ham as a possible, you know, Coach of the Year candidate. I
think that there's some there's there's there's a pathway for him there, but it
really depends on on what the agenda is for the Los Angeles Lakers, especially
through the course of the regular season, and can they sustain a high level
of winning basketball games in order for him to be validated as a Coach of
the Year candidate. Now, I'm gonna say one last thing, and I
think that's actually a really great point too. You know, Lakers fans are
probably like, what the hell you know? If we're going tourself to Vegas
odds Ham needs to probably be in this conversation to some degree as well too.
But if we're gonna go in terms of narrative, one guy is also
set up extremely well if he can kind of get his team over the Pferbil
hump. And that's Taylor Jans in Memphis, no job Morant for the first
twenty five games, just right her before record. Steven Adams is now out
for the entire year with a foot is shoe. They didn't anticipate that.
They're expecting Adams to be back after he'd missed so much of time last year
as well too. They're still behind the eight ball with Brandon Clark, he
won't be back until January or February. If Memphis can even hold down a
top six seed and what is a very loaded Western Conference with all those things
against him, Taylor Jenkins has to deserve some credit for that. So in
terms of narrative, I think he has some things going in his positive direction,
but obviously he needs to play out in a way that keeps Memphis,
you know, squarely in the playoff conversation, real quick, shall before we
jump over to clutch player, what do you think about Willy Green's chances?
How much of that is resting on Zione Williamson's Hell yeah, really no,
no, I take that back, not all of it a significant amount,
right, Willie Green's a good basketball coach, Yes, and they figured out
ways to get it done without Zion here, especially within the last year.
So I'm still confident in what his ability is. I just think they're at
a stage where for them to have any semblance of growth or for him to
be into that level of conversation, they can't just get by, and they
will not only just get by unless Dan is there and healthy and playing you
know, sixty plus games this year. So he's a great basketball coach and
a great potential pick here, but it's solely almost single handling, dependent on
the availability of all his guys, Zion and brandon Ingram because he's missed a
lot of times as well too. So but I like that conversation life that
you brought that up. Absolutely you're tuned to the baseline Cali Warnshaw discussing the
hot button topics of the NBA. And this is our NBA Awards preview.
We're making our selections who we think might be hoisting trophies at the end of
the year. So let's transition to the NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
Shaw. This is one of those new awards, you know over the last
couple of years, and you and I were talking about this before we jumped
on and started recording this episode. I am still not completely buying this award.
I do. I do like the idea or thought behind it in a
way. I don't know where it's translating to. We typically see when players
do this in a regular season to what it is supposed to look like in
the regular season, and maybe that's just something that just has to, you
know, continue to build as it goes along. You know, last year
Daron Fox wasted this award. Who is it that you probably see become the
NBA Clutch Player of the Year for this upcoming season. So I'm gonna go
with you know what everybody is bantering about going into the NBA season here,
and it's Anthony Edwards. While he's not the highest in terms of the odds
going into it going into the season, I believe he's prime for this level
of impact. And when people talk about the leap, I'm thinking about fourth
quarter scoring. I'm thinking about getting your team over the hump in those clutch
moments. Not necessarily averaging thirty two points a game this year. He can
still be at twenty eight, twenty seven, whatever that is, but do
the bulk of those points come in the most meaningful times. And I think
he's primed to take that level of a leap when it comes to his stardom.
The other pick would be lou If he can stay healthy, I think
he will probably have this. If he'll be amongst the top leaders in terms
of fourth quarter scoring and clutch points, I think Dallas will be in a
lot of close games. But I'm gonna head my hedge my bets a little
bit here towards Anthony Edwards and no shape to darreon Fox. I think we'll
still be in the conversation too. But Anthony Anthony Edwards is my PI.
We're gonna put a fast one on you, Shaw. I'm gonna lean more
to SGA. Bro. I think this is an opportunity again for him to
really be in the spotlight. And I don't know where he's gonna be in
the conversation, say of like MVPs. I don't know how big of a
leap. I know that you believe in the confidence and Dagonall is the reason
why you would be leaning towards him to being Coach of the Year. And
sometimes, like these type of awards, some they don't typically tie each other
together. The NBA is one of the few leagues in which if you have,
you know, Coach of the Year and MVP, they usually are not
hand in hand, right, They're They're of separate entities. So I can
understand where you'll probably be like I can see Daggonall being Coach of the Year
before I see SGA. But we've seen SGA put on performances that have been
considered clutch. It's just been a matter of the components around him to really
kind of, you know, exemplify that level of clutch in that clutch gene
in him. I think this is a great opportunity. I think if we're
saying that the OKC thunder is planning to make the type of leap they're gonna
do, SGA is going to be a very very big part of it.
I'm not going to say m v P, you know, consideration part of
it just yet, but I definitely think in the space of what the clutch
Player of the Year is supposed to mean, I think he has as good
a shot as any to be able to hoist that trophy. He's way up
there, and there's no reason to throw or brismirch his name in any capacity.
I'm a big SHA fan. I was thinking about something before we recorded
this weekend and remember not too long ago, Well, I guess it's a
little while ago. You know, we did who you got? Yep,
she ain't. John Moran feeling pretty good, feel pretty confident about that one.
Yeah pretty good? Yeah, yeah pretty good? Yeah jahyowemi bro all
right, let's talk about the NBA six Men End of the Year Shaw.
It's interesting because just as we were talking about the clutch Player of the Year
and how it hasn't garnered momentum. I feel like the sixth Man of the
Year has somewhat faded in momentum. This used to be considered an award of
such high importance. And I'm not saying that any of these guys who would
be in this consideration are not players of high importance. It's just the magnitude
of what this should mean. And I think you brought it up even you
know, a little while ago, Shaw, is is that it feels like,
because we have now you know, moved to this level of positionless basketball,
being labeled as a sixth Man of the Year doesn't seem to have the
same oomph. Because these type of players are players who have either started and
have relegated themselves to basically come off the bench, but are contributing significant minutes.
That almost warrant that, like that there really should be six starting players
rather than just five, right, Like, So, what are we talking
about here now? An NBA six Man of the Year, And whoever it
is you're gonna choose, I want to throw this caveat in this question to
this caveat, Shaw, whoever you choose, how significant will their contribution be.
Is this going to be a numbers based you know, look at the
six man, or do you actually see this person being an X factor type
player in what they can bring to the table. Maybe reimagine the role of
the six man and this award. Yeah, I don't think we're at that
stage yet. It's just going to be the guy who scores the most points
off the bench or has that level of impact. And I think in this
in this way, the odds of makers kind of have it right. You
know, you're looking at quickly Norman Powell Potentially. I think Powe will probably
end up having to start because of the whole kawhipg factor a lot, which
would negate his, at least in my ruling, his ability to to legitimately
be a six man for the entire of the year. Quickly, we'll start
some games here and there, but I think he'll primarily be regulated to a
bench role. So that's where I'm going to go a little kind of short
and easy on this one. I wish there was a way. We don't
know all the rotations just yet. Uh So, you know, if Bruce
Brown were to come off the bench in Indiana, he could be somebody who
doesn't just do it from a scoring standpoint, but an all around standpoint.
But I think he's probably going to start in Indiana, so that kind of
negates his you know, his his candidacy is so to speak. There's a
couple of people even in the Orlando magically because they have too many guys,
So somebody's gonna have to come off the bench there. But I'm just going
to go with manual quickly to kind of call it safe and make it easy.
All right, I'm gonna go with the monk. I'm gonna go with
the perverted monk, elite monk. There we go. Yeah, I you
know, listen, he he was. I don't want to call it the
resurgence. I think he just found what kind of player he is. And
it's not even so much the fact that he's a six MANI Player of the
Year's just he just has that it factor in him that he wants to score
the basketball. I've never seen this level of aggressive this in him. Maybe
he was listening to some Jay Rude of Damage or you know, before he
decided to get on the basketball court. Now, because he is not the
same type of dude. You know what I'm saying, and he's basically telling
anybody that's in front of him to come clean. So as far as I'm
concerned, you know, until I unders standard dynamics, you know, the
only person who I would probably see in that Elk sort of speak with the
potential to do that would be Emmanuel Quickly from the Knicks, who they have,
you know, as the odds on favorite to do it. But I
just think Malik Monk has more opportunities to do it better. And with the
type of offense that they are playing out there with Brown and with Fox and
Tibonis and company, I think that he's primed and poised that he can definitely
be, you know, an offensive machine for the Sacramento King. So it'll
be interesting to see how, you know, the odds makers look at this
through the course of the year. But right now I'm looking at the perverted
moment. Yeah, I love that too. And there's and we shouldn't pooh
pooh the idea that Brogden can repeat if he stays in Portland, he can
have a very similar year in terms of production. It won't necessarily impact winning
in a way that it did a for Boston per se, but there's a
realistic possibility he could do almost the exact same thing he's there for as long
as he's there. The question here is just is his role going to be
that will he be in Portland or does he go somewhere else where he ends
up starting, or whatever the case may be. And what other name to
watch is if Harden is moved to the Clippers, presumably Russ would then come
off the bench, and then that would have Russ and Norman Powell competing for
that role, which could probably negate pals of candidacy because Russ would be coming
off of the bench and try to produce in that same capacity as well too.
Absolutely your tune to the baseline. Cali warren Shaw discussing the hot button
topics of the NBA and this is our twenty twenty three, twenty four NBA
Awards preview. So Shaw, let's go ahead and do NBA Most Improved Player
odds. This is a pretty good combination, Like you know this to me,
I've always found this to be the next tier before you start profiling your
superstar players and elevating them into those MVP conversations or this is you know,
well, we can't give this dude the MVP, but he's still deserving,
so we'll give them most Improved Player odds. This is just like, that's
the extreme when it comes to this one. But who is it that you
have slated to probably walk away with the with the m IP award. So
there's a couple of guys on the list that I really and I mean really
like, But the person I'm going to go with here is al prind Shangoon
in Houston. I think Udoka is going to get a certain level of production
and expect him to play a certain level of defense as well that will have
him hustling and really contributing in a way that we haven't seen in addition to
what he does offensively and rebounding already. Uh, we keep calling him,
you know, the great value you know, yo Kisch if you will,
And I don't think it's it's it's a crazy statement. He's not the MVP
of the league. He's not the NBA Finals you know m VP. Like
we we understand that, but he's he's got a very similar game and feel
where especially when it comes to the offensive side and his ability to operate and
get his teammates involved in stuff. So I like Shangun Easier Picks or Bridges,
and Jordan Poole's obviously going to go nuclear in Washington. H can't be
mad at any of those things. And but the other guy who I really
like is Tyves Maxi. But I'm just gonna go with sham Gooon for this
for the sake argument. Yeah, So it's this is tough, man,
and I would really love to see Kay Cunningham, you know, really elevate
himself in this space. It'll be interesting to see how Monty Williams utilizes him
that he could be put in this in this particular space. And I think
health is gonna still be a big, a big thing, you know.
If he can stay healthy for about you know, seventy five eighty percent of
his games, I think he'll be in contention. But I gotta tell you,
man, if everything continues to go the way it's going right now in
Philadelphia with James Harden, expect this to be the year that they finally,
you know, give Maxi his due. And I think if we're talking about
the seriousness of the seventy six ers, you know, competing and contending,
they cannot do it without Maxi elevating himself to that next level and staying on
that level. And I think that's the only question you know in regards to
that, And I agree with you to your point. It would be so
easy to go with Mikhail Bridges because if you look at what the Nets did
in the off season, it's just give more opportunity for Bridges to really go
out there and just ball out the same way I'm thinking we're expecting Jordan Poole
to kind of go and ball out, right. So, but the problem
that I have with both Pool and Bridges is their volume. Guys, they
have to take so many shots, their level of efficiency. I don't know
if whether or not it's gonna it's gonna compromise an impact of what else they
could bring to the table that makes them deserving of this award. So I
think the person who kind of like brings that all together the best, and
you've kind of seen that over the last few seasons while playing in the shadow
of an MVP player of Joel Embiid is a tyrese Maxi, and I think
if we're talking about the seriousness of the Sixers again, Maxi is gonna have
to be that guy. He's gonna have to elevate what we're saying. This
team can't go without embiid Maxi and then whoever else you know they'll have if
Harden continues to be an m I A type type player for the franchise.
Yeah, my only argument is the hardened thing. That's why I'm not confident
in the Maxi pick. I think he's I think he's awesome. I do.
I think he's awesome. Navigates through that, right, Shaw, Like,
if Nurse isn't going to tolerate James Harden, and neither will Maury and
listen, Nurse has to you know, he's at he's at the mercy of
Maury Moury is like, look, I'm done with this dude. I understand
we gotta pay him and all this other kind of stuff, but you do
not you do not allow him to affect what we we have to. You
know, in the next couple of years, you have to start making decisions
about what do you want to do with Maxie. How where does this team
go with with a guy like max Yeah, So that's my thing, Like,
I don't see Maury and Nurse compromising what potentially could be damaging for years
to come. At the expense of a James Harden if it means Maxi has
got to be that guy. Maxie's got to get that ball. Like,
I'm not saying this sabotage of bald, I'm just saying I just the way
things are trending. How how you make Harden? You derelevise Harden. I
know that's not completely the word, it's my word. I'm sorry, but
how you derelevise Harden goes a long way on how you you make Maxi relevant.
I'm gonna put that in the show RELEVI. There you go, the
revolution will not be ah Man your tunes of the base, like Cali Wardshaw
discussing the hot button topics of the NBA coming up, we got Defensive Player
of the Year, Rookie of the Year, MVP, and then oh we
also have to make our picks for who's going to the finals. So we
got that and so much more. So you don't want to miss out.
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Cali Warn't Show, Don't go away. We are back. Cali warnt Show
based on NBA podcast. This is our twenty twenty three to twenty four NBA
Awards preview show. So let's get it moving, get it popping.'s
get a crack of loac In Shaw, NBA Defensive Player of the Year,
who is our debo for the defensive side of things. Shaw. I'm going
to lean into optimism in a way that I don't usually going into an NBA
season, And to me, the best defensive player in the NBA went healthy
is Anthony Davis. I think he changes the game. I thought you're about
by his government name like our boy Jabari does Anthony Marshawn Davis shut out to
JD. I think we've been bounding this drum and waiting for He's Marshawn.
He's Bistmo. You want him in Bismo, don't you? Yeah? You
do? We do? We do it. I feel like he has a
renewed and presence. Darvin Ham, as you alluded to earlier, has a
good pulse of this team. It's just about Ady keeping up with his body
and whether or not he's hitting threes or not hitting threes, or contributing offensively.
The defense is always there. So if he can play the sixty five
games minimum, I think he can win this ward almost going away. While
there's a lot of fervor for Evan Mobley I think right now in Cleveland,
which I don't think is a bad selection in any capacity, Anthony Davis has
a way to do it that's both kind of on the intangibles and allowed things
that you see that are just like oh my god and aw dropping to me,
it's ad if he can stay healthy and play the sixty five games.
Yeah, So I think that's the key, right And if you look at
what the odds makers basically did they have, Evan Mobley is having a better
opportunity winning defensive played the year over Anthony Davis. That the only reason why
is because Anthony Davis is never available for the requisite number of games you know,
at the end of the season. In comparison and to those who have
previously won Jared Jackson, Giannis Kupo. You know, so Mobley has somewhat
of a little, you know, small inside track to getting to that.
I like the Anthony Davis pick, but I'm gonna go with with with the
with the freak. Okay. I don't know what it is about Giannis Shaw.
I don't know if maybe there's another element to this that he's he has
to prove or wants to prove. I think that he recognizes that the way
to the Milwaukee Bucks being the team that he expects them to be, they
have to be better defensively. Now, last year they squandered a great defensive
season by Brook Lopez. To say that he will replicate that in this upcoming
season, I think is a stretch. You know what, I'm saying that
to me puts more the onus on Atakumpo's presence on that basketball court. And
listen, let's couple this with what it is. Damian Litla has never been
a solid defender, not like Drew. So it's back on Giannis's shoulders,
and I think he wants to prove to people that he is not just the
most dominant basketball player offensively when he needs to be, but he can also
be the most dominant defensive player on the court. And we've said if the
Milwaukee Bucks have an expectation to win this championship, it's got to be them
being better defensively, and it really starts with Yanni's emphasis again to dominate on
the court, not just in the paint because of his size, but his
ability and versatility to defend the wing players, which is made a resurgence again
in their ability to stop penetration from the three point line down. You gotta
have Giannis on that type of level or in that type of game, and
I think he's going to do that this season. Validity in that statement on
thousand percent. Dame brings gravity offensively that will allow Yiannis to actually exalt more
energy on the defensive side of the basketball. So no complaints. I can
see how that could absolutely go that way. Jannis is saying all the right
things. He's motivated going into the season, wants an NBA champ ship,
knows he has a running man and Dame, yes, Lopez, yes,
even Middleton are not the same defenders they used to be, but Giannis can
make up for that, especially with having the help of dame on the side.
Can I throw Can I throw an X factor player? Though in this
one Shaw who can shake things up? Of course? Thank you. Jalen
Brown. Watch for him in the Celtics, Okay, because now that Drew
Holliday is there, I think Jalen is going to learn from Drew on how
to be a defender that is not exerting so much that he can't give when
it's necessary because of the emphasis that they have to be offensively like. He's
gonna help show him how to have that balance and listen, last year,
the Celtics relied on on on Brown almost as much as they relied on Marcus
Smart in his ability to defend multiple players, which we're expecting that to still
be the case. Even if we're saying that Drew Holliday is on that court
and he's still a defensive bulldog. I still think that the highlight of where
Brown's elevation can be is his ability to defend multiple players, star players on
the opposition and to really have success against those guys. Watch for Brown.
I think he has an opportunity to sneak in there to be in consideration for
the deep boy. Well, I'll throw one more in there. Uh,
and I think what I've seen in preseason, and it's going to lead into
our next award through but I've seen enough. Oneyama is definitely a dark horse
candidate I think for this award for defense. You it's it's insane. The
the just he's so I'll use a word that's not a word, limsy,
Right, He's like, he's like fantastic out there, flimsy and long like
limsy. He's like, he's like mister fantastic out there. Man. He's
just that's what we call Victor. Yeah, it's it's I think he's I'm
just gonna leave it at that. He's got a he's got an outside shot
to be Defensive Player of the Year in his rookie season. All right,
nice, nice, Well, so now we can go ahead and transition Shaw
to NBA Rookie of the Year, right, and listen, I think this
is an impressive list, probably more impressive than over the last couple of years,
because every one of these guys I really do have, I really do
think have a great opportunity. I think obviously the spotlight in the marketing and
all of the hype around Victor, you know, puts emphasis that he's a
shoe in. But I really think that when you look at each of these
players, and probably you know, even though it sucks for chet Holmgrim because
maybe last year he could have very much have been a Rookie of the Year
winner, so to speak. If you look at what Chip Holmgreen can bring
to the table for ok C and the level of success required. If his
calling card is what he can bring defensively to the table for OKAC and that
team takes significant leaps in doing so, he can very much be in that
conversation Shaw. So it's really interesting how this NBA Rookie of the Year is
lining up, because this might be the one that I think might be toughest
for people to call on, even though it's easiest because Victor is in the
in the conversation to win it automatically. I'd say Scoot has impressed me in
the in the preseason and understanding what it would be, but as we talked
about on the conference previous last week, not really sure what the role delimination
is going to be firm just yet. So that's why I have him just
outside of this conversation. Chet was my pre pre preseason pick, but as
I've watched and kind of witnessed the magic that is Banyama. I think it.
I truly do think it's his award to lose. So, uh,
Chet will be awesome, Scoot will be awesome, Random Miller if they decide,
you know, Gordon Haywood it's time for him to regress and go to
the bench. That Randon Miller can maybe get some run out here as well
too. And the Thompson twins have also impressed as well, to a zeer
more so than a man for minutes in Detroit. Yeah, they're just not
gonna get in great chance there, But I'll go with Manyama just there's really
not much else to say. He's he's been phenomenal and as long again as
he can play the minimum amount of games, then I think he's he's got
this one locked up, right, And I think what we're looking at here
again, Shaw, is he's going to have the opportunity. He's going to
have the numbers. I am more so looking at those second tier guys and
where they're all, you know, where they can all elevate to and to
me, the one who has the best leap forward, so to speak,
is Chet Holmgren Because I don't think people are putting as much emphasis of what
he can bring to the table offensively because Okac is already a great team offensively,
but his contributions could be significant to his Rookie of the Year candidacy.
Right, But if he is solid on the defensive side of the basketball,
with a level of consistency and the spotlight being on Okac Thunder in critical games
at the early outset of the season, he can start generating generating that conversation
early early. We'll see if that plays. And you know, I'm kind
of you know, putting it on, but I agree with you, it's
woman Yannis to lose. But I'm really like, I like what I saw
from home grin and what I think he can bring to the table, and
it can all just come together right for him to kind of, you know,
nudge Wemby a little bit, you know, make those OKC Spur games
really interesting. You know what I'm saying through the course of the year,
start brewing up some rivalry there now will talk and they already they had a
great preseason matchup and it's it's it's been a lot of fun. So some
people called it the Skinny Bowl when when they cook kiss each other. So
yeah, it's it's gonna be a good It's gonna be a good year.
No sorry, Spurs and Thunder will be musty musty TV this year is both
of those guys are playing. It's the thinning. You're tune to the base
like Cally Wards, Shaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA and this
is our twenty twenty twenty twenty three, twenty four NBA Awards preview. All
right, Shaw, time for us to do that mv MVP odds Shaw.
So, last year Joel Embi finally got his We are happy for him,
no more complaining, okay, and if nothing else approved, we gave you
the m v P and yet you still can't get that that that damn team
to the finals. So it's you know, listen, now that we understand,
Now that it we're done with the sympathy given, let's really talk about
who's gonna get this damn award? Shaw? So, so who you who?
Who you have slated to win MVP Awards. I don't have a super
sexy pick here, it's a well dame got They don't come off looking super
sexy. Definitely does not look super sexy, right, His numbers and everything
about him is super sexy. But you know, but it's the narrative,
right, And I think because they didn't want to award him three in a
row, uh and Joel had played as as he did, led the league
in scoring, et cetera. I just don't know that you can deny Jokich
another award this year. Gianna says, you alluded to extremely motivated, so
should be out for blood. Could potentially do things on the defensive side and
win that award, as we talked about a little bit earlier, which would
also give him another leg up here to be in the MVP candidacy. They
just kind of always throw Luca in the conversation. I just don't think Dallas
is going to get enough wins. While his numbers statistically will be amazing,
I just can't go there. We keep away for Tatum to take that level
of a leap, I don't know that he can with all the help that
he has here now. So I think it's it's while Boston should be amazing,
I don't know if Tatum will be able to garner the credit as a
result of that, because people will look and say, well, you have
Gelen Brown, you have Chris steps for Zingis, Andrew Haughty here now on
your roster. So that just kind of like leads me back to Jokich.
There's a there's again the tired narrative of like, well, we don't want
to give somebody X amount of awards in a row. He didn't win it
last year, Denver still expected to be great. He's still expected to be
great himself individually. So that's where I'm going to go with it. You
could argue Embiid could have a chance because of all the turmoil around him,
and Philadelphia is able to still retain the top four seed in the Eastern Conference
with the hard end mess happening, then Embiid should deserve a lot of credit
for that. But I just don't think the voters are going to go that
way. There's a lot of voters remorse for giving it to Emba last year,
and I just think he's going to be out of it for this upcoming
season. So Lea's be back to Nicola. Well, it's interesting that they
don't have the likes of like Steph Curry and Anthony Davis, you know,
listed high up the food chain, so to speak, because I think crazy
that next year. Yeah, Yeah, it's interesting because what we're saying is
is that for either of those teams to really get to an NBA finals,
it's going to really take that level of play from those type of players to
do so, and I think they're very much capable of doing it. I
agree with you because I think Shaw it's hard not to see Yokic positioning himself
again at doing it. And if you look at the way that Mike Malone,
I don't know what kind of you know, Svengali, you know,
thing he's got going on in these dudes you don't hear, you know,
the Jamal Murray's and the Aaron Gordon's and the Michael Porter juniors, you know,
talking like I would love to get me an MVP title, you know
what I'm saying, an award, MVP award at some point in my career
or whatever the case may be. It almost feels like they are comfortable recognizing
who the centerpiece of their lavish you know what I'm saying, their lavish living
space is, It's Jokic, and they they they believe that they become better
players because of what Yoki brings to the table, which puts more emphasis on
why he's an MVP player year in and year out right. So it's interesting
until something shakes that narrative loose. I think it's Jokic. I will say
a hard second place, regardless of Damian Lillard being on that team, is
Jannis to Tokumpo. And to your point, I'm expecting Yannis to have monster
numbers, and I want to see if whether or not Adrian Griffin is gonna
let let Jannis loose. I think that over the last few seasons you've seen
Bundenholzer kind of coddle Yannis protect Jannis right and put more emphasis on the rest
of the other guys, and maybe to his demise. I think Jannis not
saying he doesn't have any faith in his team, not saying he doesn't have
any belief in his team. I think he fully believes. I think he
fully believes that he needs to be out there for as many minutes necessary to
put an exclamation point on the dominance that he believes that the Milwaukee Bucks should
have as a basketball team. And there's also one other little narrative shot that
may not get talked about. It's not to pit against players against players because
as far as I'm concerned, how the Milwaukee Bucks handle the situation with you,
Holliday was wrong. I think that there is a genuine friendship and appreciation
for Holiday and Jannis and and obviously actively with their families and what they've done
with the Milwaukee community and at large the basketball community. But I do think
there is that egoism in certain players that when that talk gets thrown out there
about how Drew Holliday helped get Giannis that title, right, you don't think
Giannis doesn't think about that now that Drew isn't there, He wants to be
the person responsible of getting not just his second title, but getting Damien his
title, as much as we think that Damien coming to the Milwaukee Bucks is
getting a title for Giannis. Again, I really think Jannis believes that he
is going to be the reason why that team always is in contention to win
a championship, and so that type of thought process I don't think gets talked
about at times, But that's exactly the kind of ego you want. And
a guy who believes that he should be the most dominant player in the league,
and I think that may elevate him if Jokic doesn't win it, it
would not be surprising for me if Jannis winds up winning it, because I
believe that he thinks that he can win it without Drew Holliday and that he's
getting Damian the title, not vice versa. I have nothing to add.
Giannis is an amazing and awesome pick. I'm right there with you. If
not then Giannis after that, it's a crapshoot for me. Tatum can get
into this, maybe you could throw Luco bo and if you were so inclined
Sga as we talked about a little bit a while ago, but then you
just like kind of fighting for a scrap. So I think it's kind of
a two horse race going into the season with those two guys as we mentioned,
and you know, and no American, no American is going to win
this here for a little while, you know, I mean, and no
Curries in the conversation as well too. But I just can't see him usurping
all those other guys here. I think Janis and Yokic are the other two
clipses. Can you really think about this shaw in a year where we didn't
want to talk about how it's you know, sympathy handouts for the MVP award.
I wonder if John Moran is kicking himself immensely, because this damn well
could have been a really good year for John Moran to sneak in and really
get those conversations. If he was, if he's to be as good as
everyone expected him to be for the Memphis Grizzlies, and where the Memphis Grizzlies
really have been and should be at this particular time frame. Yeah, well,
I jah, we don't even need to really go there. I think,
yes, it's it's gonna be a wasted year. And now they have
some more issues as we alluded to earlier on. But if we're talking about
way out their sleepers when it comes to health, what about Jaw's counterpart,
his draft mate in terms of Zion Williamson. If Zion again, we know
that's a big if, but if he's available, New Orleans has shown that
when he's there, they are awesome, and we talked about Wildy Green as
well. So I don't think Zion's going to win the MVP. But when
we talk about those third and fourth place votes and those types of candidates,
Zion could sneak into this if he's able to play the sixty five games and
keep the Orleans you know competitive in the Western Conference. Absolutely your tune to
The Baseline Calie warren Shaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA are twenty
twenty three twenty four NBA Awards preview coming up. We give you our pick.
So who's coming out of the West, where the fists are and who
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thank you for your support. More Baseline Cali Warrenshaw Don't go away, Yes,
Sir, Cali Warrenshaw. Baseline NBA podcasts are twenty twenty three, twenty
four NBA Awards Preview and Shaw nice way for us to cap the show off
to make those picks. Man who we think is going to be participating in
the Western Conference Finals in the Eastern Conference Finals. It's very interesting, you
know, fan do odd makers have it? You know, Celtic Suns,
Bucks Suns, There's a lot of confidence in the Suns, you know,
to hell with the Nuggets. You know what I'm saying, How do you
have this late at y'all? Who you have is your finalist from the West
and the East and who ultimately do you see you know, playing against each
other? So in the in the Western Conference, like the Western Conference Finals
first, there is there's a reason to be optimistic about Phoenix. I'm just
so skeptical about their injury history. I think we're going to get a repeat
to some degree of Lakers and Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. And I
think the NBA script writers have a have a team here ready for us for
Lebron to kind of kind of compete for a title or Banner eighteen and Title
six. I guess for him, Yeah, I'm gonna go with the Lakers
coming out of the Western Conference. And then on the other side of the
basketball court, I have the Eastern Conference being Boston and Milwaukee and scriptwriters again,
Boston and l LA meeting up for the NBA Championship. I think Milwaukee
has just again it is exactly even. They can very very well be there
themselves. It would not be surprising any capacity to me. The East to
me is Boston and Milwaukee, the West is Denver, LA and Phoenix.
But I'm gonna go with the Boston and the Lakers competing for Banner eighteen,
for the ultimate prize in NBA Championship glory and history, and Lebron you know,
getting yet another title before he retires. Yeah. So for me,
I think it's it's gonna be Nuggets and Sons. But I think the pathways
to those teams will be different than how it played out last year, where
I feel like the Nuggets, you know, they're gonna do what they do
they're gonna dominate, gonna have a great record. I think their pathway will
be, you know, relatively easy. I think for the Suns, their
pathway to getting to the to the finals has to be through the Los Angeles
Lakers. I don't know what it is. I'm not It's not that it's
my belief that, you know, because of Bradley Beal. I think it's
more the belief of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and what they're gonna what they'll
do if they get themselves into, you know, the into the playoff picture.
I think that they feel like they have to right or wrong, and
I think it's just long overdue for them. Whether or not that's gonna mean
that they're gonna win, you know, the the the finals. I don't
completely buy it yet, but Frank Vogel has that magic touch. Man be
ironic, you know what I'm saying, if he figures out a way to
get the Suns to the finals. But I think it's what would be great
if Vogel was able to go against the Lakers in the Western Conferent his finals,
the team that fired him after he won them a championship. I want
to see that right, I want to see that. So don't let my
pick diminish what my desire is telling me that I want to see, because
I will be there for that. At the end of the day, I
think the Nuggets give themselves another opportunity to defend their championship. That being said,
I agree with you. I think it's gonna come down to the Bucks
and the Celtics. And I want to buy into to Missoula, man,
I really do. I want to buy into the team. It's hard to
bro it's hard to and it's hard to deny yourself of seeing what you're seeing
from Milwaukee. I think it's gonna be Bucks Nuggets, and I think when
it's all said and done, I think the Bucks wind up winning this championship.
Man. And I say this to say, if the Celtics and the
Bucks play each other in the in the Eastern Conference Finals, this is gonna
go seven games. I think it's gonna go seven games. I don't think
that the I don't think I think it's gonna be a little bit different where
you know, the Celtics, you know, laying egg or nothing like that.
I think that both teams are gonna just basically just go go go at
each other, leave nothing uh in doubt on the basketball court through the seven
games. It's gonna be a brutal series for whoever wins. And I think
whoever comes out of it is gonna be even stronges. It's like, you
know, super Saiyan strong. You know what I'm saying going into that finals,
like if they got through whoever they got through in the East, to
hell, whoever they damn well see in the West, even though the West
is amongst the toughest right to do it. But I'm just saying, man
like, it's it's I want to buy into the Celtics getting there. I
want to see that championship dream you're talking about y'all between the Celtics and the
Lakers. But I'm telling you, bucks, boy, I don't like this
version of Yannis man, I don't. I don't know company did this move
to piss off on this you know move in holiday the way that they did,
But that's like, you know what I'm saying, that's Bruce Banner like
kind of move that they did. Man, Now we have no idea what
kind of gamma nonsense this boy is on. So I cannot I can't be
mad with that pick. Milwaukee is tough, like they are tough. So,
as I said, I'm just trying to lean into some some optimism and
maybe my Celtics slip is showing here a little bit, trying to get Boston
into the NBA Finals, because every year I pick against them, I'm just
like, listen, I don't see it. I don't see it. I
don't see it. And there's reasons to feel like they're going to throw up
on themselves, as some people have said on other shows, Willy Beaman.
So but I'm going to go against my better judgment and and say Boston will
get it done this year. They have all the firepower they need. It
will be a knockout, dragout series. And that's why I think a lot
of people would pick the Western Conference winner to be the NBA champion, because
you presumably think Milwaukee and Boston are going to beat the hell out of each
other in the Eastern Conference finals and may not have enough to ultimately bring it
home. But I think they will again. Celtics Lakers for Banner eighteen.
All the chips down and let's go SEEZ trying to get this one here.
I listen, I give you kudos, man, You really if you really
believe in in poor Zingis's ability to stop the freight train, that is I'm
convincing myself, you know, like you're looking in the mirror. I think
I can. I think believing in the unicorn. Man, I'm trying to
get there. So you know, if you put if you'd like just tap
me for a strong wind comes, I'll blow the other way. So let's
let's not talk about it anymore because I'm I'm not confident, but I'm trying
to portray comp trying trying to display it. All right, that's listen,
this was why it was great. We were doing audio before video, so
just so you know you put this on you. Yeah, anyway, man,
awesome show this week, Bro, so much good stuff man. And
again, just when we get to this time of the year, we're actually
talking about the individual awards, and yet even in our individualism, so to
speak, in our in our analytics of the individualism, we still talk about
how the team aspect of things are so relevant and important for these guys.
It speaks to how great this NBA upcoming NBA season is gonna be. Brother,
It's gonna be phenomenal. So I can't wait for everybody to enjoy the
ride that is a six month NBA season, the injuries that are sure to
come, unfortunately, but just the great narrative, the stories that we're that
we're gonna just engage in kind of throughout. We would hope that we don't
have too much negativity off the court, nonsense and things like that that take
away from the narrative on the floor. But who's going to be the first
coach to be fired, who's the big who's the next big name, who's
going to be traded? Who makes a smaller move that you know, kind
of impacts the team for the good that we may not even think is really
the situation here right now? What rookies are going to stand out and really
step up here outside of the Chets and the one Mayamas and Holmes, sorry
and the school Henderson's of the world. There's just so much to digest throughout
the course of an NBA season, and the baseline is here for y'all season
eleven. Man, let's get it absolutely once again, we appreciate everybody.
We're jumping on board with our twenty twenty three, twenty four NBA previews for
the baseline Cali Warren Show. We appreciate you guys. You know we do
catch up with you. Thanks time,