It's the Crossover Sports Illustrating is in VI any show bringing down the latest news, bloomers and everything in this week, here's your home, Christy. Welcome back to another episode of the Crossover Podcast. I'm Rohan Nockerney, joined today by my good friend New York Times best selling author, buyer of lunch Um, one time American Idol hopeful, Chris Pipes Hering haring House. It going, buddy, Wow, you just I'll do yourself each time. I'm good. How how are you? We're actually in the same place for the time being. How are you we are I'm doing well. Um, we're both in Florida somehow surviving the crazy rain. It rains like this every year, but this flooding is it's new. I'm sure it's not a sign of the coming climate apocalypse. Chris, so many things on my mind to start this episode. I'll just say it, I don't care. Sometimes I like to keep these things secret. I don't know why, but anyway, I had a chance to speak with Chris Paul earlier this week for He's where he wrote a book. Chris Paul wrote a book. It's a memoir. It's about his grandfather. So I'm just doing a short thing on the book. So I'm on the phone with Chris Paul. You know, it's pretty early, it's like seven thirty in the morning on the West Coast. I'm thinking Chris Faul is just gonna want to get this interview done right away. You know, it's all business. He's probably doing a million book interviews. Get on the phone. This is Wednesday morning, I guess, and Chris Paul goes, man, how about those playing games last night? And I was like, I was so caught off guard. Oh, it's like Chris called about the playing games with me. Good they really have, And I think it just goes to show everyone, including the players, are just really excited right now. It was great, you know, very briefly hearing him talk about that Wolves Lakers game. I told him, I said, uh, I said, I was really hoping you guys get the Warriors in round one, and he just laughed. He didn't no comment, Yeah, yeah, yeah, no comment comment. So no, it's cool hearing how excited he was about the playoffs watching the games, and I think that echoes how we all feel right now. You know, we're recording this on Friday morning. Mostly gonna talk about the playoffs on this podcast the Playing Games tonight, we probably won't get too much only because you know, by the time Lotty you listen to this thing might be going on or done. But man, it's been it's been a fun week. It's been a really fun week. Totally agreed. I mean, it's um, you know, and I'm gonna be critical as my job in part to be critical when the league has missteps, when you know the league doesn't handle things properly. We've talked at length about Robert Sarver. I felt like the job primo situations should have been blown up a lot more and talked about a lot more and was kind of swept under the rug. There was a Kyrie thing. It's not to absolve any of that because you can't do that. I don't think you should do that. But sometimes the league gets stuff right as well, and the playing game certainly the addition of it. You're gonna have years where those games are blowouts, and I think for the first couple of years we did have them. Where was it two years running that Charlotte had had like a forty point blowout loss and it's just like, what are we doing here? But this year we have the first ten seed winning a game, and depending on what happens here tonight in Miami, you know, the Bulls could make their way into the playoffs despite being a ten seed. And aside from that, just the games have been wonderful. You know, they've been nineteen twenty point blowouts and then that team comes back to win and uh, you know, shout out to Demarda Rosen's daughter a potential playoffs, you know, playoff situation with her screaming, um, she made me responsible for the Raptors getting blown up, like dear de Rosen just to Houston and Memphis. Yeah, you just hear that justin Timberlake. What goes around, goes around, goes around comes back around, you know, refrain because I mean, Demark shout out to the Raptors. They won a championship after training tomorrow. Is a controversial decision to some, not to me. I mean, I think it was a pretty clear upgrade. But uh, you know, obviously there were a lot of feelings involved with that and a ruthless a somewhat ruthless move just from the standpoint of how much of a favorite Demarta Rosen was U. But you know, in some ways. I guess I was gonna say that maybe dear de Rosen had the last laugh, maybe the last scream, whatever you I call it. But all that to say, the plan has been so much fun and so competitive it does not surprise me at all. Like I hear what you're saying about seven thirty in the morning call, but the fact that he was watching the playing games does not surprise them at all, because you know, aside from the fact that these are teams you could end up playing, the games have just been phenomenal so far. So it's you know, hopefully we get one more night of good games and we'll see what happens with it. By the way, speaking of justin Simberlake, real quick, I just need to tell everyone because I've found this out a little over a week ago now when we got our old NBA crew together for lunch, which is apparently that you, Chris a beautiful singer, have a beautiful singing voice. And I don't know how you managed to keep that a secret this whole time. You told me you audition for American Idol, and you just dropped it so casually into the conversation as if it wasn't as if it wasn't going to be. I think I've thought about every single day since. Can you at least tell me what song you performed? I can, I'm gonna get canceled for it. UM, Well or not, I've told the story before. I granted, maybe I've said it to Michael on the pot before. Maybe not. I can't remember. I was it was my first year of polite, so this was two thousand and five. I was like a week and a half in the college at Michigan, and UM I drove back home to either drove or I got to ride back home from someone to UM audition for American Idol. I think it was like season two of American Idol and m auditioned at Soldier Field where the Bears play, which and I lived, you know, at least my place in Chicago's across the street from this UM. And there were fifteen thousand other people that showed up to audition. I auditioned with I Believe I Can Fly and UM and got through the first round of auditions and past that first round. UM. Then I tried to get cute and was like, all right, well, you know, uh, let me sing all the greatestists since I'm you know I'm making it through the rounds, so then I'd sang John Legend so high in the second round and it was not as great and did not make it through. I think you have to make it through the first two rounds to audition in front of like Randy Simon and Paula. Um. But it was it was a fun experience. It was also like a really good indication of no matter how talented you think you are at something or most things, that there's always going to be someone that's better than you or you could Season two is the Clay ach and Reuben Stardard season. You could have taken him, dude, I do not believe that. I mean, and also and I know, forgive me, what is the guy's name that its d related enough and he seems like a good sport that we we the joke all the time. Um, this is off the rails. But like Ruben Stuttered won the show, Clay Aiken seemed to be the bigger star for a lot of people. Ruben had maybe two three albums and like none of them really hit. Um, and it's crazy. It's crazy to think that you could win a show that was that popular, watched by that many people I still see. I saw something about American Idol last week that it had me wanting to watch this show again. Um making the rounds on Twitter of this woman that had like this high pitched voice, speaking voice, and it took everything in Lionel Richard and all the other judges not to laugh. And then she started singing and she sounded like Tony Braxton with like this contralto voice, and it's like, what the hell? So it's you know, I don't know reality television. I won't lie even with the basketball this week, I brought up on Love is Blind there's so much good reality TV, toxic reality TV, but American Idol has always been pretty pretty with it. So anyway we could do We'll have to do a whole offseason podcasts on how the whole American Idol had on the culture of America. My mid odds, we'll have to. We'll save that for the off season. We also maybe have you do a Love is Blind minute at some point during the playoffs. I apologize for anyone who like it might sound like I'm wheezing or like on my last dying breath on this podcast today. I'm just I have some I'm sure it's very serious and I'm making light of it, but I've I've just had a cough. Now I'm just a guy with a cough. So I apologize in advance. But Chris, without further ado, let's just get to dive into these playoffs series. We know six are locked in. We're waiting for the last two tonight. We could give our thoughts on the one seeds and some of the matchups they may face, but let's run through the series that are locked in. Which one would you like to start with? First? Why don't we go with one that's kind of like medium media level, So Grizzlies Lakers. Yes, Okay, because I don't think it's the most interesting series, but it's up there. It's it's interesting enough. I agree it. I mean, it'll be a fun series. I feel like the Grizzlies they kind of had a you know, they're obviously very popular last year too, but they kind of had that Flashwaight moment this year with the Lakers, the Shannon Shark game, etc. Man I've been pressed, was impressed with how the Grizzlies closed this season, But to get Anthony Davison Round one and have no Brandon Clark no, Stephen Adams. I'm pretty nervous about them, especially Brandon Clark was huge for them in the playoffs last year. Like he really you know, he had a solid regular season. It was weird, it felt like early, you know, in the playoffs last year, he didn't really have a solid spot in the rotation, and he played his way into more minutes during the playoffs. You don't see that a ton. He was so good. I'm really worried about their front court in this series. And if there's one team that is not going to kind of blow the Lakers away from the three point line, I think it's Memphis, which also doesn't shoot super well. It's not a very you know, half court execution, you know, you know, find the open guy to death offense necessarily. Yeah, I guess my initial thoughts in the series are I'm nervous from Memphis, what about you? I'm not nervous, but I will say that, I mean, it's it's not the easiest matchup necessarily. Who knows, maybe the Grizzlies breathe through. I mean, I will also say this, and obviously are are often are often you know, member of the team who who comes on board thinks that the Lakers will come out of the West. Okay, they have not looked very lately. They kind of got a little bit of a blessing to even win the first playing game that they you know, clinched the spot with. They've struggled against the Jazz who are not even playing you know, in some cases, like you know, a full compliment of their players a couple of times now in the season. Can you roll that over and say, like, that's the Laker team you're going to get in this first round? Not necessarily, I mean, I think part of why I lean Grizzlies here, I think pretty strongly is that they still have a roster of guys that has been used to playing shorthanded for a while to some extent, even in the playoffs when they've had to. I do think that the point that you raised it has me a little bit leary of wanting to really go all in on them, a team that, before all the craziness with their season, I thought would have been the favorite to come out of the West. The three point shooting is something that I think is worth watching. I think it's a good opportunity for someone like Aldama Jones to really get up some shots, um, and to try to make sure that that deficit doesn't get out of hand. I wonder a little bit about you know, Anthony Davis and just does he get completely lose? Is Jared Jackson you know resisting there? Uh? What what did matchups look like and stuff like that. Um. I also see the potential for John Morant to just go nuts. Uh, you know, assuming that he's healthy and kind of oriented and and and everything for the series. You know, Denzel Russell h for how much better he's gotten as a player and how much more mature he seems to have been as a player. Uh, still not a great defender, and still someone that I think can be exposed in spots, and I think John Morant can probably do plenty of that. So I'm curious. I mean, it's something where I wouldn't hesitate to call this series in five or six if you're talking about like a full I'm saying, if you have the Grizzlies guys, M I still think the Grizzlies can and will win this in six, but I wouldn't be surprised if the games are really close in a series like that where the Grizzlies taken So these are the Grizzlies. This is I'm gonna give you their top nine guys in minutes per game, but not not including the guys who are out, which are Adams and Clark, So Morant, Baine Brooks, Triple j obvious, I mean a great four. Then you got Knard, Tias, Jones, Aldama Conchar and Savior Tillman's gonna play a lot. I mean Savie Tillman's gonna start most like yes, Aldaman, Conchar. How are we feeling about them? Because I think they're gonna have to play serious minutes here. You know, last year this team at Kyle Anderson, who I think made a huge difference for them. I mean, Cornard's a solid player. I don't know that we've seen him get consistent playoff minutes. How do you feel about what's your conference level in those guys? They're not gonna They're probably gonna play way less minutes. I mean, Memphis is a good job managing minutes. They're leader at job. He didn't even play a full thirty two per game this year. So I think we'll see their bench guys in the teens high teams minutes wise, But it's just a lot of unproven players to throw out there for a two seed. What's your conference level and those guys headed into the playoffs? Well, I think one of the points that you've kind of indirectly are bringing up there is the fact that, and this has come up a lot in the defensive player of the your conversation with JJJ, we're talking about someone that plays like twenty eight minutes a game, yep. And and so when you talk about extending playoff thentes, that's fine, every team is used to that. Jaren Jackson Junior is as well. But what his minutes look like and obviously it's someone that's had foul trouble before. When this is someone that sometimes struggles to stay on the floor, gets a lot of fouls within thirty minutes of play, what happens when you try to extend that to four play? Do you have to go to the bench sooner? Do you have to extend guys that you would prefer not to um? You know, I think it would be if if you can. And it's it's also the flip side of his interesting because Anthony Davis is someone that generally when he's not playing a lot of minutes, it is because he's been hurt or because he's a risk to get hurt. So you could really really clean up if you're able to extend Anthony Davis's minutes and you know, essentially put Jaren Jackson Jr. In the post with guys to try to really drop out trouble. As you're saying, like you don't love the bench rotation here, if you're the Grizzlies, Kyle Anderson would sound wonderful for a team like this. Now. He's been great for Minnesota. He's been just huge for them, you know. At the same time, if you're talking about Gabriel and and Bomba or someone like that, I think the Lakers added Sristin Thompson and the playoffs, like you're not, they're not world beaters. But what I will say for the Lakers, they've got a chance to really do some damage on the glass offensive rebounding wise was known for that, and it would have been a Grizzlies advantage Adams with Adams exactly. So it's these are the reasons why this series has the potential to be really, really, really interesting. Um, we're dealing with a handful of unknowns because of because of injuries and because of foul trouble. Can Jaren Jackson Junior stay out of foul trouble? Can he extend his minutes without it being a problem. If he can, and you know he's a difference maker the way he usually is, then I don't see this being a problem for the Grizzlies. But it's a big if. And the playoffs are obviously different than the regular season. Um, you know, even the idea of who you're missing specifically. Look, no one would have picked the Grizzlies to win a championship without Jaw, but they won plenty of games without him, and they also beat the crap out of the Warriors one game last year without him. They can they can still score without him, they can really defend without him, and uh, you know the thing is, I don't think that's true of the bigs, Like if their bigs are not there, particularly Jaron Jackson, when Steven Adams is out, it's a totally different thing. So we'll have to see. And the Lakers can really make hay, I would think with Jaron Jackson off the floor, Yeah, it's gonna be interesting. In terms of the Lakers, you mentioned D'Angelo Russell being an issue for them defensively, and I agree, it's gonna be fascinating to see how he holds up in this playoff series. Shrewder has been fantastic for him. I've always thought he was a good player for them, and it was kind of weird that one year he wasn't on the team. And I just remember from the last year he was in Oklahoma City when he was a sixth nan candidate. You know, maybe he was never going to get that four year, eighty four million dollar extension, but it is weird to me that I feel like he's such an undervalued player around the league. I think he plays really well for them both ways. I'm excited to see a Shrewder, Reeves, Vanderbilt, Lebron and a D lineup in this series. I think it's gonna be really interesting. I mean, you mentioned it's not that the Lakers have great depth either. I bet we're going to see some Lebron eighties staggering in these early rounds and Lebron maybe playing some of the backup center minutes just so Gabriel, yeah, you're gonna be extending. Like, look, the other thing we could talk about foul trouble, even if it's not foul trouble when you're talking about someone that plays twenty eight minutes a game and Jaren Jackson extending him out to closer to forty and asking him to run to the perimeter and having the chase and having the switch because you're gonna play bron at the five like good luck. You know he's capable, but it's just not the situation you want, particularly again when you don't have your your not even your backup big. This would be your starting big and Steven Adams, so it'll be fascinating the Watchman, like I I picked him in six the Grizzlies. I'm only gonna stick with it. But it's could I be wrong, absolutely, And I think it's part of the reason that people are so intrigued beast mention. I think I'll I think I'm gonna probably pick Grizzlies in six. I'm with you. I think the big stress test for this series is gonna be It sounds crazy when I think it might be JJJ foul trouble and Dylan Brooks foul trouble because those guys are gonna have to play big minutes. He's always historical, yeah, not always historically He's historically struggled with that as well, and I think to me, it's always been one of the reasons that when he wants to be brought up in defensive all defensive team conversations, it's like he they're kind of like, you know, two peas in a pot from a foul trouble stampolinner. They have been Jaren Jackson's gotten better with it, but it's still an issue sometimes. Dylan Brooks has always been one of the most balinist, you know, wing players in the league. So we'll see, We'll see what happens with that. I'm curious. Let's go to we gotta go to Warriors King's next, I think, because I think that's probably the that's the steak, that's the protein, as they'd say, um in Succession, I think that's probably the most exciting first round series we have. People expect the most exciting episode of Succession, which also would have been true, but anyway, that was yeah, oh man, um. I mean they're getting the prime time slot on ABC Saturday, right, the King's first ABC game in sixteen years. The offense, I think projects to be off the charts in this series. I gotta be honest, I like, I'm I think I'm going to pick the Warriors in five. I have a lot of faith in the Warriors in the series. Great did I'm probably overvaluing Andrew Wiggins a little bit. We have to assume he's gonna be on a minute's restriction or something of that sort. But the playoff experience versus Steph Curry getting to manipulate the King's defense, I think is going to be too much for Sacramento. But I might just be a hater. I might just be low and Sacramento. I might just be projecting because I called the Sabonis Haliburton trade a disaster. So you know I have my reason. So Chris, tell me how you're feeling about this series. Like, I don't think there's been a bigger like flag carrier for the Kings this year than me, at least in the national media. Like I called it to a week and a half. Two weeks in this season, they started owing four and I think someone, maybe someone on the ESPN said somebody picked the Warriors and four, which was you know, like, on the one hand, you can do the whole like, oh my god, like that's disrespectful. On the other hand. I mean, this is not a typical three six matchup. They are within an hour of each other. It's a drive for the Warriors. So fundamentally, if you wanted to, you could kind of take the whole record part out of it, just because the Warriors are going to have a lot of support in the building. The same thing would have been true, by the way, if the Lakers had ended up being the sixth seed, So that part of it doesn't factor and is heavily for me. There's the aspect of the fact that the Warriors obviously won the championship last year, so they literally have like they are polar opposites. From that standpoint, it basically becomes a question of do you think the Warriors can stop or slow down the Kings on defense? Can they stop them from scoring one hundred and fifty a game? One hundred forty a game? And I like their odds of doing that a little bit more than I do the Kings. That said, the Kings were very, very tough on the Warriors at times. They also the Warriors won a game that they had no business winning because of a horrible call against I think it was hurder on a play. It was very early in the season where Clay I remember Mike Brown was upset. Yeah, he was furious, and I think he had every right to be. So it's it's I'm fascinated to see it because I kind of feel like this is one of those where the Kings have like and I think they should feel this way, but you know, they should feel like they are going to win this series. They were the better team all year. They were the beneficiary of the fact that there's a lot of parody throughout the league. They happen to win four or five more games than everybody else, but they're also a good team. They just really can't defend. This is a bad team to not be able to defend against, and a bad matchup from the standpoint of you don't really get to feel your way into this series, given how much experience the Warriors have. If Wiggins had been back and part of this rotation for the last two months, I think more people would be picking the series in five the way that you said that you're tempted to. I think that there are enough aspects here that make it closer than that. I picked the Warriors in six. If it gets to a seven, I kind of trusted the Kings will win the series. Maybe that's silliest since I'm picking the Warriors in six, But if the Warriors don't put their foot on the throat of this team, I think that they'll lose the series. I think that the Kings will, like I think they would feel their way in the series if they had to. If they get a chance to. Let's say they fall behind two oh, but then it becomes a two two series. I think the Warriors are playing with chlire at that point. So I'm gonna pick the Warriors. I think that they have more balance on their roster from offense to defense. I'm not worried about their road record factoring in here, because they're playing essentially at home not Also, haven't they won a road game in a playoff series, like in thirty straight playoff series or whatever the crazy number is. Now, they're gonna They're gonna get at least one. I don't know if it'll be in Game one or two. I would expect that they will. I would also think that, like Yo, this is still a championship team. If they're gonna make a real run in a championship, that they're gonna want to like punch the Kings in the mouth just to show let go. You can gloat all you want too about being a three seed, about almost having one fifty games. This is different territory and they have an opportunity to show that right out of the gate. So I'm so disappointed that I won't be in Sacramento for Game one, just because that you know that atmosphere will be incredible. I was there earlier this season. It's awesome, So I really hope that the fans get a good show there in either Game one or two, just they deserve that. But I'm I'm looking forward to a great series. I think they're the teams they're not evenly matched, but I also could easily be wrong about this one too. I think the Kings will win if it goes to seven. I really do. This is an interesting one, and I think the big stress test for Sacramento is going to be what do we do with Sabonis on defense? Because Golden State, even though they're not Golden State's funny man, because when Puss comes to shove, they will pick and roll you to death. It's like they don't want to do it. They don't want to do it, but the Houston Rockets learned the hard way. Sometime teams learned the hard way. It's like, oh, oh, okay, you're making us take this one seriously, here's one more steph drape pick and roll for y'all. You know, it's like the two chains here you go one and one for y'all exactly. I know what you're about, um, But I think Sabonis will have you know, I think if the Warriors start Looney, as they should. I love Kevon Looney by the way. I think he's like my team profile. He's I think he's like god, like if you don't have a superstar center, like if you don't have yo kitchen beide bam. I guess Sabonis you you'd put in like this, you know tier, But like it's hard to have a like a worse player than Kevon Looney. He's just so solid and dependable. Anyway, I think sabonus will probably start the game on Looney. I think if the Warriors go small. So this is an interesting lineup that we only saw eight minutes of in the regular season that I assume is going to get some run in the playoffs, and it's hurry. Thompson Trey Wiggins and Comenga. I think that's that's kind of like the New Deathish smallest lineup they're gonna play. I think in that lineup you can hide Sabonis on Comenga. I think what's gonna be interesting is to see how are the Warriors gonna make Sabonis. I mean, obviously it's you know, it's not as simple as, oh, they just put him on Comingo and he's out of the play forever. Now Comingo will set screens, etc. I think I just think the most interesting part of the series is Sabonis defensively really, and how the Warriors attack him, and how the Kings trying to hide him. Yeah, I think that there's a lot of things I'm really curious about. Um, it's I mean, the Warriors, I'm sorry. The Kings are so good at scoring too that I think if they're able to score and they're able to set their defense, you would think it helps a lot. I also shout out to like with them being as bad as they are on defense, I've pointed this side a number of times. The Kings basically have one of the best transition defenses in the league, despite the fact that they run up and down all game. Mike Brown and I talked about that a lot when I was kind of profiling the team back in February and March, and he was like, that's very much by designed, like we can't be bad at everything. Was kind of like the refrain, like we have to really dig in our heels at some point to make stopped. And so if we are running a track Meets sort of game and we decide we're going to stand up and really try to defend and make that difficult to score even in transition after we turn the ball over, it's sending a message that like, you know, the buck stops here. It's kind of like the bend don't break model on defense. We've seen step bend and then break more defenses than anybody. So that's the that's the challenge. I you know, Sabonus has been a little bit better I think than he's given credit for defensively. Like let me put it this way, I'm not trying to crap on some bonus and see that's just that's just what the playoffs are, Like, that's what the Warriors gonna They're gonna they're gonna attack him like they're gonna attack him like there's no tomorrow. Uh, you know, and I think that there's ways to do it, especially with that much basing. Uh, So they're gonna try to do that. I mean what we've seen when you look at the film of it, what the Warriors are going to try to do is disrupt those handoffs as much as they can really stick to Kevin Herder. I imagine they're gonna do some of that to Kegan Murray as well. Um that you know, you have to kind of disrupt that a little bit because if you don't and you just give Sabonus all day to kind of pick your partner all day to go at Looney or whoever else one on one, it's it's kind of what Sabonus would prefer. And uh, it's like giving um Yokis or anybody else just a chance. That's that's a bit far to say that, But Yo kich is the best big man passer in the league, and Sabonus is behind him like he's he's the next best one. You can't give him all day to survey the floor or to basic liquors chops and get a bucket, or go at even a good center like Looney. So, um, there's gonna be a lot of things that play here, as we mentioned with the other series as well. But I think that, um, the Warriors, if their experience is still there, which why wouldn't it be. We haven't mentioned Gary Peyton either. Uh, they should be okay here. They have more balanced top to bottom, they have more experience in the situation they're they're playing on the road, but not really uh, and they just they just they just also have that aura, you know what I mean. Um, I don't know it. Yeah, I know it sounds silly, but you can see teams like there's a just an added level of tension when you play the Warriors. Like I joked about this when we did that podcast. I think remember the Wolves beat them, you know, late in the regular season. It was a great game. But it's almost more scary to have like a four point lead on the Warriors than to be four points behind because you're just you're waiting for that wave, you're waiting for that run, you're waiting for that punch, you're waiting for the crowd to go nuts, and you just you remember seeing it during the finals, like there's just that thing that hasn't gone away yet where it's like, oh, we just know STEP's gonna hit three big threes in a row and everyone's gonna go nuts, and we're gonna have played perfect defense on all those possessions. But there's nothing you can do when Clay hits a You know, they're just the team that I think messes with teams the most. I'm excited to see some Bonus. This is gonna sound absurd. I tweeted this years ago, but I was like, I can't wait to see some Bonus playing a high stakes playoff game. I've always been a fan of his, and you know, I wrote this little essay for the magazine that should be coming out in a couple of weeks just about how you know what I love about the NBA Playoffs is it's all about like who has the answers to the test because teams are gonna keep testing you. You know, bam at a Bio. He had that crazy jump shot this year that you know in the paint non restricted area jump shot. It's like him and Spoe both said flat out that was a response to how it was guarded in the playoffs. Brook Lopez, who you know, had back surgery two years ago told me, Yeah, I'm working on my lateral quickness in the offseason. He's preparing for like that one time in a Game seven they're gonna ask him to switch. He like, that's something he works on in the summer. He's the best drop big in the NBA, but even he's prepared to switch. And it's just That's what I love about the playoffs is it's you know, you will spend all year, all summer preparing for these brief moments, and I'm excited to see a player like Sabonis get tested. I think it's it's great for players, it's how they grow. It's fun to watch them respond. I think I am taking the Warriors in the season. I think I really think I might pick them in five. And that's not a disrespect to the Kings, it's just, gosh, the Warriors. Here's a trivia question for you, Chris Herring. When was the last time the Golden State Warriors lost a playoff series in which Steph, Clay and dre played every year The last time they did? Uh oh? And I feel like it's a trick question because because I feel like one of them wasn't fully healthy for the year they wont before they won the title, So you can't go back even before that, right, I think I don't, Well I have it is twenty fourteen, so maybe you're right, But yes, the whole point is twenty twenty fourteen. Was was was that the year they wonted? Or was that the year before that? Was that was the year the year before they won? That was the year the first time? Yeah? Geez okay, wow, okay, so that there you go. Oh, oh, I see what you're saying. Okay, yeah they were twenty sixteen, Yeah, yeah, twenty sixteen. Yeah, yeah, it's just nuts been a minute. I'll believe they can be knocked out when I see it, you know. Yeah, it's it's always it's always really difficult to try to make that call. I feel like people sometimes you kind of can see it that first year after the Lakers one the title, like people were so reluctant to believe in the Suns, and I think it, you know, there is some of that with the Kings too, of like it's been a minute since you've been in the playoffs, why should we trust you? And sometimes it's really not that complicated. I think this one's far more complicated, Like the Sons. One with the Lakers wasn't complicated because A D and Lebron had both been dealing with injuries. Ad just got back. He wasn't even really right when he got back for the playoffs that year. This one is, you know, the biggest question mark he had was Wiggins. He's back. His was not an injury, it was just personal stuff. I keep thinking about the fact that if this was let's say this was Phoenix in the Warriors, not with the rosters. Let's say Phoenix had an equivalent roster to the Kings, but they just played in Phoenix, I would I would probably be more inclined to take Phoenix at that point, because, again, the road aspect of it. It's really not easy to just look away from the Warriors road record. It's so horrendous, But like you said, they have a track record of always getting at least one on the road. The experience that they that speaks to their experience and the fact that this is a drivable distance for them and their fans. By the way, I do get their pressure. The Kings will have a decided home court advantage, but if the Warriors get on a roll, you know they're gonna need every one of those fans to really try to stay them a little bit because the Worrior I do really think the Warriors are going to come ready to play, and maybe they won't, but that's what experience is supposed to teach you. With everything they've done and the fact that they're the defending champ, someone's gonna have to knock them out. It would be a huge task for the Kings to do them. I am excited for that series. One last note on it. I'm interested to see who on Golden State picks up the Deer and Fox matchup to start the game, because that's a big ask for Wiggins. I think I'd guess it would be Clay. You know, I have to assume they're gonna hide Staff if they're putting Draymond on Sabonis, which again that you know, that's going to invite a lot of cross matches if they start looney, but does give Golden State an opportunity to switch a lot of you know, those pistol actions that they love to run with Sabonis and Fox. I'm not saying Clay could. Would you know? Sabonis is strong, He's underratedly strong. I think that's a big part of his game. Not saying it's a crazy matchup for Clay, but I think it's it's an option for Golden Stadum and just see how they defend those two guys. As much as we talk about Sabonis in Space and the Fox together have been fantastic, let's go to how about Nick's calves next? This is gonna be an interesting series. I don't have we gotten an update on Julius Randall that we're recording this Friday morning. That's something that that looms over the series massively, not not cleared for contact, questionable for Game one as a Rice morning. So that alone kind of says to me, like maybe just hope and expect that he'll be there for games Yeah, if he hasn't been cleared for contact, that's yeah. In my history of kind of covering the league and even predating when I covered the league, throwing guys back into play during the playoffs when they're not I mean obviously people go in they're not one hundred percent but not cleared for contact, and then getting into that level of contact is a lot um So we'll see. I mean it was a bad ankle role for people that saw it. Um he not only could he not walk, but at first but it looked like they were gonna have to kind of come out and wheel him off or something. He stayed in to shoot his free throws and then you know, immediately needed to come out and it was bad. So it's big Like the next have plenty of scoring, it's just different to have like a top level creator to do that. Brunson obviously can carry that low he did it with Luca out last year, but there's a big step down from that. You have quickly to some extent that I think will be right in that conversation for six Man of the Year, But after him and after Brunson, then it gets a little more dicey. I mean, Barrett his shot so poorly from deep for the last two months or so. You're talking about twenty twenty five percent from three. He becomes a massive X factor in this series for a number of reasons, not to mention that the Cavs their wing position, like they're kind of their three position, has been the biggest question I think for them all year as to who will step up and do that. They've been the number one defense in the league, so it's not like they haven't been able to hold their own without a consistent person in that spot. But I do think it becomes a bigger question. If Barrett is playing well, how do you go about defending that? Do you take someone like Immobili and try to defend that position with him? If Randall comes back and gets it going, how do you go about defending him? So there are a lot of questions in this series. I as much as I think, and you wrote this at one point about the Knicks like looking like legitimate title contenders for a brief stretch there not without Randall, And I think that goes without saying. I think we all say that even if you don't love Randall as a player. But also, this is gonna be a really tough matchup for them. I think I just think it will be. Yes, you know, even without looking at the fact that they don't have home court Adams, they don't have their number one score, This is gonna be a tough This is gonna be an I'll field battle for them against the defense like that. Yeah, you know, there was a moment where the Knicks defense had kind of up ticked and I think looked legit. But then after the All Star break, I think kind of came back down to earth, and you know, we all have takes. I don't know that i'd walk it back necessarily, but late more recent evidence would suggest that, you know, contender talk is cooled off significantly because of their defense, because of Randall being out, and you mentioned even with Randall healthy, it's interesting about the Knicks, like they have a good offense. They score a lot, but it's not like they have this beautiful ball movement, you know, warrior style motion. And Brunson has been fantastic, but even Brunson is not like a Donovan Mitchell level pick and roll operator necessarily, like he's good, but he's not. He's great. But you know, it's just a little bit surprising how good their offense has been too, because you've mentioned Barrett hasn't been a great shooter. I mean, Rhymes has been really really good. They they've had contributions quickly, has been really good. I just I guess what I'm saying is it's it makes me a little bit nervous, especially because I feel like so much for their offense, it's like Randall creating a shot out of thin air that would have been that would have been hard to do in this series against Evan MOBILEI Jared Allen Brunson driving into the paint against those guys is gonna be tough. I think even with Randall, this is gonna be a really uphill climb for the Knicks. And I think if Randall miss is a game or two, I think this is gonna be a quick series. With the Calves. I think they've had success with Lavert now I think a little bit more success with Lavert in that fifth spot. I mean Isaac Accorro was against Miami. He hit like a big game winning three down the stretch for the Calves that you know you can't overreact and literally one shot, but seeing him have the confidence to take it, those are the shots he's gonna have to take in the playoffs. He finished at thirty six percent from three this year, but I mean those are all wide open looks. I mean, those are the ones out and expect him to be getting in the playoffs too. Yeah, you're gonna dare him to make those, and I think the reason you almost want to dare him to make those is that if he doesn't, you would imagine that JB. Bickerstaff might have a pretty tight leash, Like you can let someone try to shoot through that in the regular season, you can't afford that in the playoffs. So like, if it's not him, it's Osman getting those looks, is it, like you said, Lavert, do they go further down? I wouldn't even say the depth chart. They've used five or six guys at that at that three spot, so there's a lot of different ways they could go with it. But you if you're the Knicks, you should want Okoro to get those shots and hope that he misses him so that you can get a really good defender off the court. What I'll say, you know, to your point, absolutely, like any team would struggle, I think a little bit to score at the rim against this club, just because you've got essentially twin Towers. There a couple of guys that are gonna be all defensive team candidates. You know, Mobili will get plenty of support for Defensive Player of the Year. Brunson did have forty eight I think the very next game against them after they lost Randall, So he I mean, like we've seen a heater. He finds ways. A lot of it is ISO based, which is what you want in the playoffs. Again, we saw him do this against a pretty good defensive club and against Rudy Gobert last year, so he's capable. I it's gonna be a really big test for some of the Knick's young guys, even some of the ones that aren't young. I'm really curious to see what Rhymes does in this series. I'm really curious to see whether they can get anything in transition at all, which would be a huge boost for them, given that Randall will miss probably at least game one, or even if he doesn't, like he's not gonna be one hundred percent. You get points that aren't grinded out sort of plays off of grind out sort of plays, or if you do, like, can you offensive rebound against this team? It's a team that defense defends really really well, so you're gonna probably have plenty of missus. Can you grab any of those missus and score off of them, whether that's Heart, whether that's Mitchell Robinson who I think had the highest offensive rebound rate and the league is it Hartenstein. You're gonna have opportunities there too, and you're gonna have to make good on some of them because the scoring is not going to come easily in half court against this team, which this isn't And I do wonder sometimes if we're underrating Cleveland a little bit. They have the second best net rating in the league in the regular season, top ten in both offense and defensive. We talked so much about how good their defense is, and rightfully so. I think Mobiley is a great pick for Defensive Player of the Year. Him and Allen are fantastic together. Their offense has also been really good, and like Donovan Mitchell it was, has been as good of an acquisition, you know, as they'd hope, like, I think it's turned them into a legitimate title contender cleaning the glass. I mean that they won fifty one games during the regular season. Expected win total was fifty five, Like they underachieved a little bit, and that was with guy. You know, every team dealt dealt with injuries, so I guess we could say in and out of lineup for every team. But yeah, I don't know. I think that there's a way in which we're almost underrating them a tiny bit, As crazy as that sounds, like, yeah, don't we don't put them in the Milwaukee Philly tier. But I think they've been just as good as those teams, at least statistically. And you know, it's one of those things where we talk about the Kings and whether they have experience Cleveland that's a big question for them, But they're also there's always these situations where like there's there's nuance within it. If you're just talking about it black and white. Cleveland has no playoff experience. If you're looking at the reality of it. They have a guy that's gone off for fifty in the playoffs. Yeah, so it's not like they don't have anybody and that they haven't had the stage. They were in the plan last year and really were kind of bounced because they lost in the plan, but they weren't They the highest seeded team in the plan last and that team, you know, that team was good with Jared Allen and Jared Allen was hurt and they're probably a high seed with Jared Allen. There's that, There's the fact that I'm pretty sure Mobiley got hurt at the end of the year, which changed the Rookie of the Year conversation as well, and so he missed time towards the end of the year. Then Alan got hurt right before the plan and was trying to play hurt Cleveland. I mean that doesn't change the fact that they have experience or don't have experience, But they would have been in the playoffs last year. They had the best net rating in the league for a good chunk of last year. Yeah, at least in the East for good chunk of last year. So this is not coincidence. This is a good team. I mean, all the pieces kind of makes sense. And between them having home court advantage, between them having an elite defense where you're not relying as much on whether the shots go in or not. Your defense is solid game to game. It's a team that has had basically a fewer blow out losses in any team in the league. I'd like them in the series. Like I really liked this Knicks team too. I we you know, we've mentioned this on a previous podcast with Mannix Randall, you know, if we want to talk about experience. Okay, so the Knicks having experience a Randall's shot like ass the last time they were in the playoffs, he was sub thirty percent, he was sub twenty nine percent, and the playoffs last year, if I'm remembering correctly, so or maybe it was twenty nine point eight or whatever it was. It was less than thirty percent field goal percentage. He was like, he's like, he's like one of those fridges at the You're like a hospital and it's like getting a drink, and it's like, we keep this at thirty two point one degrees. That was Randall in the playoffs. My man was freezing. So I mean, so well, I mean, it's not to say that that he's not capable of playing better, Like it would be hard for him to play worst. This is just a even better defense than the one he played. Like the Hawks were not. Yeah, no they weren't. And so if they were able to do that in scheme for that and granted against a much different roster. So that's the nuance with them is the Knicks have a better roster, They have more offense. Now they've got a legitimate point guard who can score on his own. But I just don't think this is gonna be an easy matchup for them, obviously, not if Randall isn't there, They're gonna have to look for every nook and cranny they can to try to get easier points, to try to get to the line. Because the points are gonna be scarce and against a team like this, I would think I have a vested in first in the Cavaliers because the Boston media mafia is Michael Pina laughed at me before the season when I said they have a shot to make the conference finals. So I'm high. I'm high on my Cleveland Cavaliers. Chris, he didn't take you seriously when he said, that's so weird. That's so weird, just because like Mitchell alone, ye kind of I think reinforced the idea that like they've got they've got two All Star guards, they've got two All NBA defensive team like caliber, if not defense Player of the Year caliber, centers, bigs. They're like, look, if you want to quibble about their bench, I think that's fair. Their bench is not chopped liver. Yeah, Like they've got guys between Ricky Rubio like Lavert plays with the bench and kind of platoons with the bench. Anyway, Um, they've got osman like, they're they're not bad. They were good enough to be able to let Kevin Love walk basically, Um, they're not a bad bench. It's not a bad team. Like I would be a little surprised if they knocked out somebody in the second round. I would not be flabbergasted by it. Like, they're the best defense in the league and have been a top five, top ten team in the league for the last two years. They just didn't make the playoffs because of injury stuff. Like period, some people are just born haters. Chris Let's touch on. I guess I think seventy six ers and Nets is the last series here that has any real intrigue with apologies, I guess. No, we haven't even talked about Clipper's sons yet. Yeah, that was about to say that I don't agree with that, And I would also say this, maybe this sounds wild, Maybe it's just me not well, actually, you know what, I take it back. I keep forgetting Jane McDaniels. Isn't isn't gonna be playing. I was gonna say, if the Wolves somehow come out of tonight and play the Nuggets, they just they have enough talent to like scare the Nuggets if they're not on the job. Yeah, but again without Jade McDaniels, I don't quite buy it. I think that they would probably need like if it was Nasrid and Jade McDaniels and the full compliment of the Wolves like series. I'd probably need to take an edible, but like, you could probably talk me into the wolf planting that series if they had everybody the fact that they don't. Uh, probably not, but we'll see. But anyway, why don't we talk You want to talk about the Sixers? I would rather talk Let's let's talk about Clippers sons. I just slipped my mind that we hadn't talked about them yet. Granted, the lack of Paul George is a real bummer here. Um, and you know he's podcast p now, I don't know if he's Let's let's see if we get the latest update on Paul George. When you google Paul George, the first thing that comes up is Paul George ays NFL players can't play in the NBA. It's okay, that's weird. So we're not a lot of injury news, not a lot of injury update out there on Paul George right now. Needless to say, I don't think he's really expected back soon to start this series. The Clippers gave an update yesterday, still undergoing exercises and therapies to rehabilitate his scray need no timetable for his return, so doesn't feel like his return is imminent. I think that gives I mean, if you had had a healthy Paul George, you'd have you know, I think the team most capable of defending the Suns. You put Paul George and Kauai on Booker and Kad and you have a shot. I mean, I still think they'll have a good chance defensively, between Batum and Kawai, they can take turns on Katie and Booker. Westbrook's been fantastic for the Clippers, but that almost makes me nervous for what he may do in the playoffs. And maybe he can keep it going. But what's your what's your feeling on this series going in? Uh? I mean, I think similar to what you said, it's a little I mean, we've we've looked. We've seen the Clippers win series before without both of their stars, well not without both, but without one of their story you know, in some cases some people would say like without the more important star, the one that's more accomplished. Certainly they've they've won a series without him being fully healthy. This one's tougher and I and I understand the idea that the Sons are new that you know that they haven't really been tested. Even in the eight games that they won all eight, by the way, they're eight no with Kevin Durant. Most of those teams have not been good or playing a full strength. They beat the Nuggets twice and one was without four Nugget stars. One was without five Nugget starters. The Suns were using everybody because they're still trying to kind of get everybody to gel with Kevin Durant. Just watching the Suns on film, though, I there's just so much to their offense in my opinion, I watching the weak side action and watching Kevin Durant plays so far off the ball, and the kind of mental conundrum that it throws at defenses. The idea of ken a defender, a weak side defender pinch in and try to take away that pick and roll when Aton rolls to the basket off a Chris Paul pick and roll, or does he have to stay attached to Kevin Durant And we've watched him try it both ways, Defenses try it both ways, and Durant I think I saw some crazy statistic about the idea that Durant in like five or six games with the Suns had as many weak side or not even week side, but just like corner threes as he had like all season with Brooklyn because he's just getting so many and looks by playing with Booker and playing with Paul and guys having the pension and take away eight and at the rim, it's it's it's a basketball utopia basically offensively, and they're good on defense too. Um, I don't think that we've quite seen the challenges or the struggles the way we were expecting statistically with Michail Bridges being out of the mix, and Jim Johnson blow is not a bad defender either. Um, So maybe it turns into a depth question. But again, and you one, I've talked about this before. The Sun's depth is not bad. And again you're extending these guys minutes, So it still is more of an injury depth question for me with the Suns. But look, Kawhi is gonna be fascinating to watch in this series. It'll be interesting to see how often we get to see the Kawai Katie match up. I have to imagine, yeah, I and share the minutes there because they're gonna need Kawhi offensively and Kawai. I know, I'm sure in the fourth quarter he'll step up when needed. And you know he he showed even he showed him those MAVs series against Luca. When push comes to shove, he'll say effort and go to a monster mode and be like, I'm not two years ago with the honest when they went when they went to the title and one, I mean not great, that's also a long time ago. Ye, you just can't expect him do it. He won't. He won't you Katie won't go do it the other way. Often it might be here and there, but I'm still looking forward to seeing it. I mean, a couple of guys that we have not always been able to count on them being healthy at all, and uh so when we see it, it's amazing to watch two of the best players in the world. Um. But all that said, I mean we barely mentioned Devin Booker, and he was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this, if not the biggest. Um because you basically anybody that you'd want to throw a second guy at you kind of yeah, that's really easy. You mentioned the week side. Actually, I mean they'll still run. It's not quite like a full on ISO. But you know, Booker has the ball kind of right elbow, right wing, and you can't send a help defender. You can't plant someone in the lane. Eighton is such a effective rim roller that it's frustrating as he is, like you said, you have to respect him rolling hard to the rim. And if there's one thing he will do, it's roll hard. Chris Paul. Chris Paul is going to get so many open catch and shoot threes during the playoffs. Man, I think if Paul George were healthy, this would be a real toss up because I love the Clippers depth. I think they have the wing defenders to throw at Phoenix. I think Russ could wear Chris down a little bit. You know, if Russ is playing like twenty four minutes a game, but he's full court pricing, he's pushing the pace, like, I think he could wear Chris down a little bit. But I just I mean, they've had a good starting line even without Paul George. I think it's been Morris has been hurt as well, so they've had Westbrook, Gordon, Batoum, Kawai Zubach seventeen point two net rating in eighty three minutes. I just I have a hard time seeing the Clippers doing anything here without Paul George. And that's with Kawai having played. The thing is as good as Kawai has been, Like Kevin Durant's been that good or better the season when healthy, and then you add Devin Booker and Chris Paul into the mix. I have a hard time seeing it for the Clippers. Yeah, I mean it'll be interesting to see. With Russ. What's always been so interesting to me is the idea of in the postseason, team's just dare the guy to shoot exactly yeah, and back off of him like he smells bad. And look, man, Russ can't quite take the bait. He's got to take some of those shots, but if they're not falling, it can't turn into something where you you're you're playing the song I'll repeat. Essentially, you have to attack. You've got to try to make place for other people. And frankly, like you said, if he's matched up against Chris Paul, I mean, there aren't that many guys that Russ can always say. He still has so so, so so so much more athleticism. Then, because he's getting a little bit older, it's not. You know, the explosiveness is not always there in abundance the way it was. Chris Paul is one of those guys. He can say that about hims down here. Russell Westbrook has been able to say that for a long long time about Chris Paul. So he's got to be able to attack and make some hey with that, you just don't want to see him shoot them out of a game if he just doesn't, if the shots aren't falling. So you have less room for error here. Without Paul George, you're I also would think that as good as the Clippers can be on defense at times, this is a team that has the potential to light you up if you're not positioned properly. So Russ, like I would say, even more so than Russ having to play well on offense, he's got to be in the mix defensively. He needs to study Jose Alvarado tape and be like, I'm playing like this defensively against Chris Paul. I'm getting in his shirt, I'm getting in his jersey. He mentioned he cannot have those off ball defensive lapses against this team. I will say we talk about it every year with the Clippers interest to see if and when they go small in this series, because as good as Etan is, they're not They're never going to throw them the ball on the post. Every possession that ends with the Eyton post shot, especially when Paul Booker and trainer on the floor, is a win for the Clippers. I think this is gonna be the opportunity for them one way. You can kind of granted, you're not gonna win these matchups, but if you at least don't want to give up open shots, the Clippers could theoretically try to play this team one on one and switch everything. It's not going to be easy. The floor is gonna be spaced, but you are going to have a guy, whether it's Tory Craig or a Kogee that you're cheating off of at all times. M I mean, you could, you could directly, if you are looking to mitigate some of russ softball stuff, you let him hide slash Rome on whoever that fifth player is. That will be interesting. It's just a bummer. I hate when you just chalk up a series to injury. But I mean, but that's a pretty major one against this star studded opponent. You know, so I hear you. I did talk to Tory Craig last week about them. They idea of like, look, man, you gotta shoot and this series oh oh Kogee, the same thing as true of him, And I think I asked him something long lines of like is that something that Montie Williams even has to tell you? He's like, man, come on, like, we we know what it is like. You look at the roster, you look up and down the roster of who you're playing with. You know what it is like. You know, even as much as you have confidence in yourself, you know that you're ultimately going to be the guy that they play off of, and you know you're gonna have those opportunities. You know you can't shy away from them. So I mean that that is gonna, on some level be the story of the playoffs. I think too, is that in this era where teams have tried to load up two and three guys on each team, you're naturally gonna have one or two guys on every team, whether it's a Choro, whether it's Craig and a Kogee, whether it is PJ. Tucker, You're gonna ultimately have guys and just about every game that just like it's a question of whether they shoot, and even if they do, can they make them? Can you can you force somebody to start guarding you. Last year we watched it with the MAVs. It was Josh Green at times and like that was the irony of the Map not making the playoffs. It's like he got a lot better this season because he was just like yo, when you talk about the summer work. The guys have to put it. They just have to be willing to shoot. They have to get over the mental hurdle of what if I miss? You just have to shoot. So it's gonna be a story in at least three or four of these series easily. You may have just inspired my next feature pitch. It's actually a great idea. I might be staying one. Yeah. Sorry, Actually you know what, man, I look at it our our story whip and how many things we got on the docket. You could have its happy birthday. Um, let's go to net sixers quickly. I think this like obviously Philly's heavily favored in this one, Brooklyn. You never know where you're gonna get from this team. Like sometimes they look like world beaters. I saw them play the Hawks in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago, and they storm back and have this amazing offensive explosion. Michael Bridges forty one point. Another thing that was really funny it was I was talking to Chris Paul and I was like, yeah, you know, some guys really hate it when you do that ripped through. But I'm watching, you know, the other night, and Michael Bridges does it, and Chris Faul is like, yeah, man, these guys all do it. It's like they all get on me for it. He's like, they all do it, um, And I don't know. I think that the Nets could make this series a little interesting. There's potential for them to do that. I mean, I was ready to pencil in my six ers in five prediction and ultimately did do that. To be honest with you, I just think that really, when it comes down to, is the idea that and being is so much better than anything on the other side of the roster. I tend to think that it's it's next to impossible most of the time unless you found, like think about it. The Warriors that one year they won their first title, it was because Draymond fits so well within their their small ball scheme. They were able to use him and they didn't have to rely as much on David Lee. But generally speaking, I think it's rare for a team to have so much money tied up in a player that isn't used or isn't utilized the way you expected, and that's kind of what Brooklyn has with Simmons. So with that in mind, you know, the Nets half games where they look great. Michail Bridges has been better offensively than I think anybody could have expected. I voted him a third and my most improved player list this year. You know, Cam Johnson is a really good for them. The Nets still have a really like a really crazy amount of shooting on their roster, so crazier things have happened, Wilder things have happened. I just think the inevitability of Joel Ebad at some point is going to kind of dictate things. I would imagine that the Sixers have enough to get this done between Hardened and Harden. You know, I think this is a good opportunity for him to try to regain himself a little bit. He looked a step slow, which I feel like it's kind of a common theme for him at the end of seasons now does he have enough gas to kind of finish out the season. To close out the season, he had moments where he didn't play all that well or look all that great, and wasn't great at getting into the basket and finishing in the basket. I think this first round is like kind of a good chance to kind of rectify some of that. But either way, I think Embiid, like if Embiid had to do it himself, I think he could get this done for them. You know, the Nets were a little bit up and down, Like I think we expected them to just be a crazy good defensive team after that trade. They've been. They have it pretty good. I mean they've been pretty good, but they had moments, and I will say to your point, they were more at the beginning of that stretch right after the trade where they were consistently giving up like one thirty. I think they had a game there where they give up one forty. They they pulled it together more by the end of the season, but also by the end of the season was a stretch where you had a lot of teams that weren't really going for wins, and so I think that the numbers there, I won't say they're misleading, but there were moments where I'm like, why can't the Nuts defend better? But you know they have Smith. No, you're right done. I mean they were like so well. I think ultimately they were thirteenth or fourteenth in defense. Post All Star Break had a negative net rating went under five hundred. I'm with you. I think Philly wins this series. I'm probably picking them in five as well. There will be a lot of Sixers fans in Brooklyn too. That's also a pretty short trip them. Yeah, I do think at least they'll have options. It's funny Claxton is so good on defense, but the best way to negate him is I mean not everyone has this, but you have someone like himbid. So it's not like Claxson is helping or you know, coming off his guy to block shots, etc. It's like, no, he's gonna have to guard and beat in the post. He's gonna be involved in these hardened and beid picking rolls. I do think they'll be able to switch them. If they put someone like Phinney Smith on Hardened, they can switch a little bit. They have I think the length and athleticism to help and recover on switches. But I'm with you. I just think inbid is gonna overwhelm in this one. They have a lot of when we talk about some of these other low seeds, they've got a lot of playoff experience, maybe not together, but they also I think what's weird about this matchup, and the reason that you said I'll probably go in five, you know, maybe it could be more interesting that is that they actually have like the bodies that like they should be capable with those three guys Fanny Smith, McHale, Bridges, Claxton, You've got enough guys that are capable defensively that can make it difficult. Claxton, I think deservedly so will get some All Defensive Team votes. I don't quite think he'll get Defensive Player of the Year votes, maybe from some people. But the fact that we have to talk about that they didn't have a whole lot of games together. They didn't play a lot of meaningful, meaningful games with where other teams are playing all their best guys, where they played well, but like wilder things have happened where teams kind of figure it out. Jacque Baughan got you know, the last Coach of the Year vote for me I think I said that when we hung out at lunch, So you know, I wouldn't be stunned if they take it to six. I'd be a little as they think it's seven. But wilder things have happened. The Sixers have one of the more underperforming as of the last few years stars in the league in Harden come postseason time, and Ebid is not necessarily the most sturdy player as far as holding up physically. The last postseason was an example of that. So we'll see, Like it wouldn't be wilder things have happened, I'll put it that way, but I still have the Sixers and five. The Nets also do have a not totally dissimilar vibe to what the Raptors had last year, which is like small forwards and vibes, you know, but they do have Claxton. I will say, I'm interested to see what the Sixers do with PJ. Tucker in the series. Is I love PJ. Tucker, but if I'm the Nets, like I'm considering putting bridges on PJ quote unquote and letting him roam and re havoc defensively, and you just you let PJ. Tucker shoot all the threes. He wants in this series, because again I'd go I'd rather that option than embeat in the mid range or I mean, again, the Sixers have done a really good job this year. It's credit to embeat and talk. Embad is so dominant at the elbow that it becomes so much more difficult to send a help defender at him. But I'm just see the Nets can do anything there. And moving forward in the playoffs, you know how teams are dealing with j Tucker, how the Sixers are dealing with him, But they've done a really good job of getting embeat out of those you know, really uncomfortable doubles that he has I think a harder time with in the post and at the elbow. I guess now we can go to Hawks Celtics. I mean, the Celtics are winning this one, you know, yeah, I mean obviously I feel the same way. I will say I think that that series has the potential to be a little bit more interesting than than Sixers, really because only because of the fact, not that I trust them, but I mean when we talk about experience, they have that. When we talk about just like can they cause issues in one way or another, I think they potentially could the Hawks have been the highest scoring team in the league. I think over the last fifteen games, basically since they hired Quinn Snyder, they're going to score a lot. They do do certain things. And I was at the game the other night in Miami where the Hawks knocked off the Heat to earn the seventh seed. They how many offensive rebounds did the Hawks have? Twenty two? Like, I mean, we know that they can be physical at times. They have a guy that, if he gets hot, can cause you real problems, and like, on some level, while you can always defend a little bit better, Trey can also just pull up from thirty five. So it's like, it's not, Look, I trust the Celtics here. I think that they probably have the two best players in the series. But it's not like it's the chasm between Brown Trey and de john t Murray. Like, those are pretty good players. Those are all Star level players, those are in the right year, those are all NBA level players. Um, So it's again, I don't expect it. Do they have a roster of guys that, like, if something really unforeseen were to happen that could change the complexion of the series. Absolutely, they do I would be stunned. But you know, like I think it could happen. I'll put it down. I have the Celtics in six. Just to be very, very transparent, but I like the Hawks have a ton of offense, They've shown the capability at times to play some defense. They have a good coach against the first time coach. Like, let's just be like, this is one of the biggest questions we have against about the Celtics is the fact that they have a first time coach. Chris. I mean, you're talking dirty to me right now with the way you're casting out on the Celtics. You know, you know, I'd love nothing more than to enjoy their downfall with you. I don't think it will happen, but but I mean, I just think I just think they're gonna run Trey rough shot during this series. Um, I just don't think the Hawks are gonna be able to keep up with them any anywhere close defensively. Um, the Celtics to get it, yes, And I feel like and I feel like the Celtics. You know, people are like, oh, they had this mid season swoon. They're they're not as good as they were at the beginning of the season, still the only team in the NBA top five offensively and defensively. Um, I just I don't think they're gonna have any trouble. I know, everyone, I know, the entire Boston medium mafia apparatus is just going hog wild over the Hawks meeting the heat in the playing game. And I'm seeing all the heat cultures dead heat gotta blow. I see it, you know, I get it. They're all very thrilled. Like the Hawks are not good, They're average. What's the stat they've been within one game of five hundred for like? Yeah, Like, I know everyone in Boston especially has got you know, their chowder cups full over this heat loss and how thrilling it was for them. You know, everyone's chowder bowl is full the morning after heat loss in Boston and another they're so thrilled about it. They're so satisfied, and everyone is freaking out over a one game where one team got a crazy number of offensive rebounds. But I am just the Hawks are have been average in Boston has been great. I think I'm picking the Celtics in five. I think it's gonna be a gentleman's sweep. Listen, we've been excited, We could talk about this probably for another hour. We don't need to do that. Let's just get a couple of minutes though, in real quick on the one seeds, I think Milwaukee I'm at the point where I think the Heat should really consider I mean, I'm not saying they should throw the game, but I think it's in the I think it's in Chicago's in Miami's best interest to lose this game tonight because Milwaukee's gonna smoke either of these clowns. I mean, you're not gonna get a debt from me, and that I made my Like, probably nothing I've said on this pot is all that controversial. Maybe the one we were just talking about would have been. Uh, but even then, it's more just like if an injury happens, like it wouldn't be the most un you know, craziest outcome the you know, the Nuggets, I said, if they if they get the Wolves, that maybe there's an interesting point or two in the series, just because the Nuggets looks like trash for a lot of the end of the season. Everything but the but the Bucks on the other hand, Like I'm picking the Bucks, see no matter who they play. Yeah, I'm not even sure what it would require for them to lose this series. I mean, I will I will say this. I mean the Heat Work Conference finalists last year. But I just got done saying how with the nets? How when you've kind of got a throwaway salary, And by that, I mean like you're paying big money to someone that isn't playing for you or isn't effective for you. How rare it is to even compete for a championship. That's kind of the Duncan Robinson effect of the Heat. I mean, I was just watching them the other night up close. Um, it's just asking too much. The Heat don't have that much. I can't believe you. I can't believe you didn't tell me you were going to the game. Dude, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I went to the game, brought the fiance. Couldn't throw up the bat signal for row Baby, couldn't be like, hey man, hey man, Actually I told you I was coming to Miami, but it was my fault that I didn't follow up. But also the weather. He has been trash. The weather's been highly trash for anyone that was thinking about visiting. I might not even be able to get out of here because of fort Lauderdale's Airport being flooded. Hey, man, you can come crash with the nod her knees. That's no problem. Hey, that would be low key. That would actually be very fun at some point. Well um um, but but no, I mean, the Heat just don't have the athletics if you want Bulls unless you have Dr DeRozan like shouting for the rest of the series. So I want to see that. I want to see dry again. Yeah, so I mean, but honestly, though, no, I don't see even if the Bucks were playing without Janis, I think the Bucks would win the series against the Bulls. Um it would make things interesting against the Heat, I think of be honest, we're something for some reason not able to play. But I know I'm with you on that that I just think it's it's a high highly unlikely that we see anybody knock out the Bucks in the first room. If you watch Milwaukee play Miami with the honestes here, the Bucks are just controlling every shot that's happening on both ends of the floor. It just comes down to Miami a bad mid range team trying to hit a bunch of mid range jumpers. It's not fun to watch um, yeah, so we'll see. I don't know, it's a weird year. Like the parody this year around the league. You knew it meant that we were gonna have some good teams, some great teams, but not that great. Yeah, just kind of what this year turned into, like a bunch of teams between like fifty five fifty six wins and then a couple with fifty and that was it and then there was everybody else. But the teams that were mediocre were so mediocre, Like and I feel like the teams that we saw on the Plan, I'm not gonna fall Oklahoma City, they're young, Like I'm not gonna fault New Orleans because they're playing without Zion. But Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Toronto were so mid all year despite having some talent or some star power, they were just so mediocre. It's like, I can't really take seriously the idea of any of those teams winning a series, to be real with you, just because I mean, like even the Wolves, I'll give them a reprieve on this because they were without towns. They were trying to get these guys to gel maybe they were trying to get these guys to like each other based on what we saw the Rudy Gobert thing, but I can I have some grace on that. But the other teams that were you know, should have been better. Each of those teams they were just so average and it felt like from one game the next they were constantly toying with five hundred. So I don't expect much of them if they do even make it to you know, play the Bucks or what have you, whether it's Miami or Chicago, I will say I hope we get Nuggets Wolves in the first round because I want to see the Nuggets versus Gobert in the Jamal Joker pick and roll again and it's a little bit of a revenge series. Tim Connolly now the president of the Wolves, trading for Rudy Gobert after coming leaving the Nuggets. So I do hope we get our custler sits courtside for the series. I hope he does. I hope he does. That would be so fourmental hell out of them. Hey, do you know how it's funny because I think he would never do that. He's one of the night assist most just affable people I've ever interviewed. Um, I know, but that would be very funny. I don't think Walker Castler has a mean spirted boat. It is fotty, but that would be hilarious if he showed up courtside, Chris. That will do it for this jam packed playoff preview episode. This just got me so excited all over again. I'm even willing to forgive you for coming to Florida and ignoring me and my family and my dog. Next time, next time, next time, Hopefully it'll be more opportunity to get out like wet. At least you're above water man, Truly, it's been scary down here. Um. Shout out to the owner of Fat Boy Sushi who saved my old editor Matt Donald's parents. Just gave them a ride like he had a pickup truck. They were stranded at the airport. Yeah, it's a crazy story. It's a crazy see story. That will do it for today's episode, though, Chris. I'm excited to talk to you on the other end of this weekend, when the NBA Playoffs will officially be underway. Until then, everyone, please enjoy the start of the postseason. H