Game 7 Fever in OKC, NBA Lottery Reform, and a Mega-Mailbag With Rob Mahoney, David Jacoby, and Joe House

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[01:37] Right now. [01:39] and play your game. [01:40] 21 plus select states are 18 plus DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. If you have a problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Call [redacted phone] or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut. [01:51] Music. [02:17] It is the Bill Simmons Podcast. We are live on Netflix. Rob Mahoney is here. We're coming right after a game that I'm frankly shocked by the result. I'm not shocked San Antonio won, Rob. Yeah. [02:30] I'm shocked. [02:31] that it was a blowout, especially at halftime. It felt like they hung around, hung around, hung around, hung around. [02:37] and we were going to have this awesome second half. But my first question to you, [02:41] So game one of this series, game one of Nick's Cavs, which was that awesome Brunson game, the comeback. [02:48] And it was just basketball bliss for 24 straight hours. [02:53] We haven't had a good basketball game since. Cousin Sal is that nine and a half point thing that he does where it's nine and a half point favorites. I bet seven straight nine and a half point favorites cover. [03:06] And we just had bad basketball. So what happened? Did we just,

[03:09] We paid all the taxes for those two games and that's it. I think some of the games in this series have been better than the final score. We are at least getting like three really high, like well-played quarters often from these teams. They're just one critical stretch in which one of the other pulls away. But yeah, it does feel like we sold our souls or something. Like we paid a heavy cost. We got the great weekend of historic basketball. And now we just all have to deal with the consequences. [03:34] I thought today would be the makeup for all the crappy games we've been watching, but [03:39] You're right. This is good, bad basketball because... [03:43] There's so much chess going on. [03:45] to watch San Antonio do this twice to OKC in three games, basically, I thought. [03:51] I thought OKC was going to win tonight. [03:54] But I thought it was more because of the Castle Fox thing, which I just couldn't. [03:59] I couldn't get that out of my head how I didn't think Fox looked right the last couple games. Has not. [04:04] And he looked bad tonight. And I didn't think Harper looked good either. [04:09] And then Harper was awesome today. And you think like Wemby had that just, you know, lights out classic Wemby first half. [04:16] But Harper was the other piece of it, and they were still up seven. And if you had told me they're going to get these two first halves from these two guys, I would have thought they were up 20. [04:24] Didn't matter. They ended up blowing them out in the second half. So what happened? What did you think the number one thing was? Yeah, that's the thing. I think based on the first half, it felt like the Spurs were winning, like technically winning, but the Thunder were hanging around, as you mentioned, and they were just like gutting out enough possessions to make you think, okay, if there's any turn in this game, if there's any change in the momentum, if OKC comes out in the second half and their offense looks any cleaner.

[04:46] then this thing could really break their way. [04:49] It turned out the opposite was the case, which is the Spurs completely tightened the screws and just suffocated all life out of the Thunder offense. And it's been one of these things that's been flying a little under the radar in these playoffs that the Spurs have just been the single most dominant third quarter team in the entire postseason. And it's a weird thing to think about a young group. We're used to thinking about, you know, the juggernaut warriors in that capacity, maybe. But I think it's an incredible credit to Mitch Johnson. [05:19] able to figure out the tactical adjustments of like exactly how they need to pivot strategically but you take a break you let them reset you give them like a couple of talking points and a little bit of film and they come out and they just throw like an absolute haymaker against the defending champions it's amazing to watch in the third [05:36] And you know, the other thing, [05:37] What you just said about San Antonio was true for OKC at the end of these halves. [05:42] And you could feel it coming in the end of the second quarter. [05:45] they're just like closers in the last three, four minutes of the second. And it's like, [05:50] "Oh, they were up four, now they're up 18, what just happened?" Or, "They're down 12, now they're down two, what just happened?" And San Antonio kind of rode that off too. I think OKC got it to within maybe three. [06:01] But then it ended seven at halftime, which I thought was big. So in the third quarter, 20-0 San Antonio run. [06:08] OKC had a seven-minute drought. [06:10] Yeah. Where they went 0 for 14 at one point. There was one point where they were 6 for 26 from 3. I mean, one thing we learned from them last year,

[06:19] If they're not making threes at all, no, [06:22] Anyone can beat them, especially if you're home. And this seesaw has been crazy over the last four games. 45%, 18%, 44%, 24%. Like, that is... [06:34] a wild level of erratic offense when Shea has also just been really inefficient from the field. And they are reliant on at least one of those things breaking for them to win. So... [06:45] If I'm a fan base here in this game, there's two choices. [06:50] What am I most nervous about? [06:53] on each side heading into Game 7 after watching [06:57] these first six, because for me, it would be for OKC... [07:01] I didn't Jada didn't exactly and still a ton of confidence in there. AJ Mitchell is just gone. I don't, I don't think we're seeing him again. [07:09] And that second creator thing, which didn't bother them in game five, but did bother them in this game. But the three point shooting would be the thing that made me nervous. For San Antonio, if I'm a fan of them, it's Fox. [07:23] And then it's just like, which Wemby am I getting? [07:26] Because Wimpy was the big winner tonight. He had the makeup for... [07:30] the game five, which I still don't know what he was doing in game five. He did the, the, uh, the Vondam hard, hard, uh, hard foul demand at the end of game five, put out the hit, turned into Martin Cove and Karate Kid. [07:45] Um, [07:46] And then didn't talk to the media. Mm-hmm. [07:48] God forbid you do that. We need your boring quotes.

[07:53] But basically, it was awesome in this game. The Spurs are 3-0 when he's awesome in this series. Is it just that simple for the Spurs? Is that what I would not be nervous about if I'm a Spurs fan? This guy is showing up for Game 7. He's the next one. I think what you would be nervous about is he was awesome in this game, but... [08:08] But Oklahoma City took away the vast majority of anything going to the basket. They blew up a lot of the lobs going to Wimby, any like straight line hits in transition they were able to take away. He put up a ton of points because he made a ton of jumpers. And granted – [08:23] I would never want to be on the other side of that bet. Like, are you willing to bet your season and your title defense on the idea that he won't do that again? [08:31] wouldn't be me but if you're gonna play like a gamble here of something you have to give up something to victor webb and yama and late in a series if you're the spurs you just have to get a little used to settling for whatever is left right the other team has schemed away the three best things you have going on every possession yeah if what's left is victor webb and yama shooting over the top of literally anyone in front of him both from three and then we saw him in this game kind of get to some of those like mid-range into the elbow into like little turnarounds in [09:01] If that stuff is going to be available to him, I think you're fine with it, but it's not the same as the 97% accuracy of a Victor Webinama dunk. Right, right. Well, they were doing... One thing I noticed, they were trying to set these little sneaky picks for him that would then send him flying down, not for a lob, but just to get... [09:19] Near the foul line? Yeah. [09:20] So I don't know. That was the one experimentation thing that seemed like it worked a few times. But I just thought,

[09:27] It was such a weird OKC performance. Shea didn't get involved at all in the first quarter. [09:32] They missed a ton of threes. There were a lot of like Lou Dort threes. [09:37] I think he took five in the first half. And they're playing all those hockey lineups. And it felt like he never found a lineup that, [09:44] had the right rhythm and i don't what what is your okc lineup that you like the most and [09:49] Obviously as [09:50] Caruso and SJ out there. Do you like when they go two bigs? What's your favorite of all the options? I do think it has both bigs and it has Caruso and Shay. I think at this point it is Jared McCain. I think JW is so limited to... [10:03] He is trying to get out these quick bursts of playing time that they're giving him, but when he tried to do something with the ball, it just kind of went nowhere. I don't expect much more than him being a decoy. We've seen Isaiah Joe get played out of the rotation. Actually, I think Cason Wallace is a decent option if that's that spot too. He had a really ballsy game during the really difficult parts of it in particular. [10:33] to look pretty, that's not going to pan out, that's not like the thing you would script up, but ultimately who can come away with those balls? And [10:40] I'm going to change it and go from McCain to Kaysen Wallace on that reason alone. I think I want one more dog in that fight if I'm the Thunder. [10:49] What's the ideal Thunder final score of a Game 7? [10:52] Is it in the 110s? Is it like a 92 to 85%?

[10:57] Because... [10:58] If you're going for your all-defense kind of side, then you're going to see more case and loss. I thought he was really good tonight. I mean, he had two plays in a row where he just took the ball from the Spurs. He had three threes. [11:09] I would have wanted a little more from him. But I wonder, do you just do threes? [11:15] rebounds, bother Wemby, and then just hope SGA gets 30 and you can kind of eke out one of those 99-92 type games? I think like Game 7's almost always turn out that way regardless of what you want. But all three Thunder wins have been in the 120s, right? And some of their losses have been among the lowest scoring offensive output games of this entire era in terms of what they're scoring. So it really is a feast or famine thing. And I think a lot of that is Shea, who... [11:41] I mean, he looks so uncomfortable in this game. I can't remember the last time we saw him settle for this many shots, and there's just like a layered defensive impact where – [11:51] The Spurs are so good at denying him the ball. And you saw it with Castle, but you also see like Devin Vassell doing it, you know, Champagne doing it. Basically, anyone who's cross-matched or switched is taking like shaving time off the clock, [12:03] and taking some life out of the Thunder offense right off the bat. Then when Shea does get the ball, he has to chart where Wimby is at all times. He has to be extra careful. And then he ended up with so many late clock bombs in his hand that he just had to hoist up. It's... [12:17] It really is an uncanny thing seeing a guy who's so used to playing at his own pace all the time playing basically this entire game on somebody else's terms.

[12:27] I have no feel for this series at all. I think I've picked five of the six games wrong. [12:32] And every time I think I have a feel for it, it zags the other way. Yeah. [12:37] And... [12:38] This one is like, basically, you just have to guess if Wimby's going to have an awesome game or not. [12:43] And if he has an awesome game, it just seems like San Antonio is a better team with the OKC injuries. [12:49] So he's one winner tonight. [12:52] Devin Bissell? [12:54] Fucking love Dennis Vassell. Just for this whole playoffs, you want to pigeonhole him as a 3 and D guy, but I almost feel like he's a 3 and D plus. Oh, yeah. Like he's... [13:03] He's a level over a role player, but he's not an all-star, but he's in that nice... [13:08] Nice sound. One of the things I love, he should have gotten a tech. It's been a tech all playoffs. They didn't call it tonight, but when... [13:14] He blocked Chet. [13:16] He shoved them. [13:17] and then talk shit to him, which has been a technical foul this entire... [13:22] Year. For 20 years. Literally the first time this year they didn't call it. Because I think the refs are after the Tony Brothers massacre that happened in Game 5. [13:32] which I was being really, I had legs on after game five. I was really careful talking about how I felt about the refs because I just thought it was an apocalypse. But after that, it really felt like the refs were like, [13:44] Hey, we want to let the players decide this one. We don't, [13:47] We're not here. Just do your thing. But that was a classic Vassell play where... [13:53] He brings a lot of fuck you. [13:55] to their team. I really trust him. I trust him as a number four guy. I don't know how many movement shooters you could say that about, right? These skinny, life lanky guys who are running around ball screens, catching on curls and shooting. How many 6'5 shooters legitimately play bigger than they do all the time in the way that Vazal does? He guarded Chet tonight. He guarded Chet. And that's not the first fuck you block he's had on Chet in this series. He comes up with huge defensive plays. He comes up with big time contested defensive rebounds.

[14:25] he's like the antithesis of the archetype that frustrates me the most. Like the empty stats, like I put up 18 on jump shots, but I give you literally nothing else is like, those are among the most frustrating players for me to watch. Devin Vassell will give you maybe not that kind of scoring output every night, but he does so many other little things all the time that feel instrumental to a series like this one. Yeah. I always call it like, [14:48] I don't know, he had 13, 14, and it was a loud 13. [14:52] Right. His points, his performances are loud. I think Castle's like that too. Yeah. Castle's one of those guys you look at is like, does he have like 30 points? And it's like, no, he has 16, but he's all over the place. He had nine assists, I think today too. Um, [15:05] I think with Fussell... [15:07] He's been thrown in these trades for... [15:10] Two years, right? [15:12] It's like, oh, Trey Murphy. Well, if they went after Giannis, we'll put him in. He's just always the constant because he's making like 25 million a year. [15:22] He's good, but you can always feel like you do better. [15:24] I think he's kind of the perfect fourth guy for them. Yeah. I mean, really the issue, if you're thinking about upgrades all summer, [15:31] with no matter what happens with them, uh, [15:34] you know, in game seven and even in the finals. [15:37] Fox is going to be the big question. If they lose this Oklahoma series, he's going to be the one everyone points to. And how hurt was he? [15:44] Was he healthy? [15:46] Oh, he's clearly hurt. He can't really move very well at all. Seems like he has no lift. And the Thunder are basically betting we don't have to take him off the ball very seriously. We don't really have to respect him in the corner. We don't have to rotate out to him super hard because we don't think he can beat the closeout. If we just put a Lou Dort in front of him, we'll mostly be fine. And they've been pretty much right about that part of things. Yeah, he doesn't have that little...

[16:12] drive into the lane, that little spin move backwards for that 13-footer, the little 13-foot turnaround just doesn't have the lift anymore. Another winner for the... Oh, go ahead. I was going to say Harper is a huge part of that too. To the extent that De'Aaron Fox feels expendable, which is a crazy thing to say about a player as good as De'Aaron Fox, I think some of it comes with the fact that Dylan Harper is already so good so quickly. And he's going to have massive expectations on him at all times, I think, because he's one of these guys who you see him just breaking down... [16:40] the best perimeter defenders in the sport one after another. Yeah. If you can do that, there's always going to be that tension of like, why can't you do more? Especially coming off of a game like game five, where he was, [16:51] invisible like you you would not recognize his presence in that game you would have to double check the box score to make sure he even played it and then he comes out in a game like this and he's just in front of everybody turning the corner all the time looking super aggressive and i think he can kind of turn that up whenever he wants to that's the most terrifying thing about him at this stage [17:10] And seems healthy, finally. Yep. [17:12] I didn't feel like he looked like him in 2, 3, 4, and 5. He was awesome in game one. He was awesome in this game. Took the spotlight off of... [17:20] Fox is stunk. Um, [17:22] Another winner tonight. [17:24] Garbage time. [17:25] San Antonio put out the triple towers. [17:29] Olenek. [17:30] Biambo Plumlee. Yeah, we're waiting. It was the first time we'd seen that. I didn't even know they would do that. It was almost like in hockey when it's like a 6-2 playoff game, and they put out the fourth line with like all the guys can fight, and they're just kind of skating around in case anything happens for a couple minutes.

[17:46] That was the vibe I was getting. Nothing happened. It's a different kind of high drama, but we all escaped unscathed somehow. [17:52] Were you surprised how they use Biambo as like a stretch... [17:56] Stretch seven. [17:57] I don't even know if he's a stretch five. He's just 25 feet from the basket for no reason. Given that there's Matt Pionbo's in the NBA in 2026, nothing else can surprise me. It's amazing. Um, [18:09] Another big winner, NBC. [18:10] Mm-hmm. [18:11] They get a Saturday night game seven. [18:14] I actually thought their crew, which I think has been pretty up and down because the two... [18:18] Reggie's Reggie and Jamal Crawford feeling it out. But I thought they did a good job tonight. Jamal Crawford... [18:24] He had a couple great points tonight. Like when he, like J-Dub had a turnover, like where he fumbled the ball to bounce. I have liked this one too. Yeah, and Crawford said... [18:34] Yeah, that's what happens when you're rusty. The hardest thing to come back is your ball handling. I'm like, oh. [18:39] okay nugget i'll take it it's an incredibly astute point and we should also say exactly the thing that jamal crawford one of the great ball handlers in history would say it's like yes your thing would be the thing to go but i do think he's right like it is where you feel clumsy is coming back or where you see a player like jdub just looking a little out of sorts a little out of rhythm like how can you ask a guy to jump into a series this competitive and this brutal like this was an incredibly

[19:09] Ruder level analysis of flopping kind of way, but in the like, people are getting, this is a rugby game. Absolute rugby game, a skirmish and a scrum to get every loose ball. And you're just throwing Jada about them being like, I guess, see what you can do. It's, it's a lot to ask of him. [19:23] That was another reason in the second quarter why I thought OKC was going to come back. Because once the reps were allowing three bodies on the ground for half the plays, they [19:32] Is that what OKC wants? [19:34] They have Dort and Caruso and Hartenstein and J-Will. [19:39] Like that, that sounds great for them. And they have SGA who's good at navigating that stuff. [19:43] But it turned out to be way better for San Antonio. Yeah. [19:47] I think weirdly AJ Mitchell is a winner. [19:49] I thought they really missed his... [19:52] Adlib offense, second ball handler, take the pressure off. [19:56] off shake because otherwise you're just looking at jared mccain who yeah you know who has been i would say considering for what they gave up on him like a revelation in these playoffs but this was a lot doing this in san antonio against a crazy crowd they really needed him to be awesome in this game and you know he's a second year guy i i really do respect with mccain though i mean he's a crucial ball handler for them right now as you mentioned and he will actually go at wimby in a way that other guys won't and he'll just see kind of like if i bump him just enough can i get [20:26] layup up? Can I get something up on the rim so Cheddar Hardenstein can clean it up? [20:31] He's aggressive in ways they need him to be aggressive. He's just not quite up to the level of doing that as a driver right now. He's clearly a flamethrower shooter. And we've seen the Thunder tap into that when they really need it. But they need the ball handling right now more than they need the shooting.

[20:46] All right, so when we think about Game 7, mm-hmm. [20:49] which is two days from now. [20:51] We've gone every other day. [20:52] And both teams are a little banged up. [20:56] We've seen the Wemby... [20:58] You kind of know in the first quarter with him if he has it or not from a I'm all over the place. I have the eye of the tiger or wow, Wemby looks tired. And it's just one of those two worlds. [21:08] This is a game seven. [21:11] It's hard to say who has the most at stake in this game because it's a game seven to get to the finals. So technically everybody has something at stake. [21:20] But when be knocking out OKC, be down 3-2, knocking out the back-to-back champs, a team that won, what did they win, like 132 games in two seasons? [21:30] And him basically, if they're going to win, he's going to be the best player in that game. Yeah. [21:34] And at age 22, I had the four of the seven best games in the series and we won four games to three. [21:40] And now here we come New York Knicks. You are now like, I feel like he has the most at stake, even though if it doesn't happen this year, we'll just like, oh, it'll be fine. It'll happen for him next year. Who do you think has the most at stake? [21:52] Yeah, I mean, Wimby is the most to gain, probably, for that reason. That's what it is, most to gain. Most to gain, but not a lot to lose, because you're right. I think, right or wrong, we will expect that he has a lot of time ahead of him to be in series and competitive situations like this one. The most at stake... [22:07] I mean, it... [22:08] The Thunder are in such an odd place overall, just in terms of their reputation, like their place in the basketball consciousness. It's like they're defending champions and they get a lot of respect based on that. But clearly, they're not the most liked team in recent basketball history. And I wonder if they lose a series like this one. And let's say next season is also a challenging one for whatever reason. Like you can see their story taking a really sharp turn. I don't think that's what's going to happen. I kind of do expect that OKC will win game seven.

[22:36] I don't know that we're really in a position to predict anything at this point, given the way the series has gone. [22:42] Within that, the idea of Shea coming out of the series shooting like 37% from the field in a round that even though the Thunder are injured, they lose. I could see there being a lot of questions and a lot of interrogation about just like them and the construction of their team and what they should be moving forward. [22:59] And there's some, do we have the right team to battle Wemby? We just lost to him and the Spurs aren't even really the Spurs yet. [23:06] It would open a lot of questions. Definitely a lot more like, oh, man. [23:10] We're already searching for answers here. We just won a kajillion games. We won the title last year. Now we have to question ourselves. [23:17] Um, [23:18] I think from San Antonio's side, [23:22] I'm trying to think like, [23:24] ranking dudes who would have to come through because game sevens, they're slower, they're uglier, the more on the rock fight side. Yep. [23:31] What we have seen, though, in recent years is road teams being able to go on the road and winning game sevens, which in the old days, you just won game sevens at home. That's just how it went. [23:41] And then that started to shift. And now every once in a while, we seem to have these Philly at Boston. [23:47] Dallas at Phoenix. We have these ones where they're not even just winning on the road. They're killing teams on the road. They're just eradicating them. [23:55] With that said, I do feel like the home court has mattered unusually in this series because it ramps up the defense on both sides. [24:02] The three-point shooters are going to be a little more comfortable at home. [24:05] Um,

[24:07] San Antonio, for the guys that have to come through, mm-hmm. [24:09] One of Vassell and Champagny. Yes. I need a four or five, three game for one of them. [24:15] I need Harper to play like he did today, period. Mm-hmm. [24:18] I need Fox not to suck like he did. I don't need him to be good, but you can't suck. You can't go like one for 10. [24:24] Um, and I need Wemby to be closer to where he was in the three wins than the three losses. What else needs to happen for them? [24:32] I think they probably need another stretch like they had tonight where they look really good in the minutes without Weminyama on the floor. Like this was one of the first times where that really broke for them in the series. They looked confident. They were hitting shots. The ball movement was really good. The energy felt right. [24:46] And that's an area where like Kelton Johnson has become a really important player for them in the series from an energy standpoint. And as Fox has kind of faded into the background and when Harper was hurt, Kelton was one of the few guys who was consistently driving for them. So I would say he's pretty important for them, too, and sort of counterbalancing the upswing of OKC's role players at home. [25:08] Well, we have... [25:09] Thunder by three and a half on Fandle is our game seven line. Yeah. Today's game seven line or game six line was Spurs by three and a half. [25:16] And I think the last game was Thunder by a different half. So it's just basically whoever's home is, that must be the... [25:23] Established home court advantage From a referee standpoint [25:29] So if they're not calling stuff... [25:32] like they did today. Usually I would think that [25:34] helps OKC, but today it really helps San Antonio. Yeah. It feels like the kind of game when there's a million fouls is always better for OKC.

[25:42] we'll see who we [25:45] Who will get? Today we had Zach Zarba. [25:48] I forget who else, but I'm sure we'll get [25:51] James Capers is probably the best... [25:53] ref they have maybe mark davis but hopefully it's not another tony brothers 80 fouls situation would be my my one guess we simply can't [26:03] But, [26:04] Can Dort and Caruso unleash the... [26:08] you know, the Bruce Brothers routine. [26:10] Are they going to be allowed to do it? Are they going to ramp up their stuff on Fox and Harper? Mm-hmm. [26:16] Um, [26:17] And does Wemby have it in him this early? Yeah. [26:21] I think... [26:22] If he does, we're going to have four days to talk about a Spurs-Knicks finals, and it's just going to be a Wemby fest. [26:28] You're going to have, [26:28] the new generational superstar here, and then you're going to have [26:32] the most famous team we have other than the Celtics and the Lakers trying to win their first title in 53 years. And it's going to be about as good from a, [26:40] from a hype finals as we're going to have. [26:43] Well, it's already been a Wimby fest. I mean, have you been listening to this podcast? Have you listened to the group chat? Like it's, it's all we can all talk about. Cause we're, I mean, games like this are why, you know, it was a totally different kind of dominance than I think a lot of people were calling for. There was a lot of like, how do you get Wimby closer to the basket? How do you get him attacking more? Turns out he can just beat you this way too, on some nights. And if he's going to be hitting step backs against Isaiah Hardenstein, that might just be it. Like that just might be your season right there. Uh, I, [27:10] I really can't wait for this. I do think as far as the OKC balance of all that physicality and what the refereeing looks like, even if they're giving a lot of leeway on that stuff, I think Lou Dorges has to play less. The self-destructive possessions that we've been talking about with this game...

[27:25] There were like maybe five to seven of those in the first half alone between... [27:30] The hijacking possessions from three, like looking off of swing passes that he should have made and taking his own. He like flopped really badly on defense, like trying to sell a moving screen that then led to a wide open three. There's just so many possessions like that where I think in a game seven. [27:46] You can't leave anything to chance. It needs to be like a Caruso playing 36 minutes and a Ludoort playing... [27:54] 10 to 15 minutes. Even this felt like too much. [27:58] Two for 11, one for nine for three in 22 minutes. It was a minus nine. [28:02] Even if you look at all his games in May... [28:05] He's only scored 10 points once. [28:07] 6-3-10-6-5-8-0-2-7-5. [28:13] eye test wise doesn't look like the same guy from last year. He's a little bit older. [28:17] And he's like a running back or a tight end who has a lot of miles on him. And he has a team option on him next year. [28:23] that I'm sure is weighing over his head too. Like, [28:26] He's playing for his next contract. He just has looked out of sorts this whole time. I thought, I've said this before, [28:33] I thought he was the reason... Him and Caruso were the reasons... [28:36] They won that game four in Indiana, which I think if they lose that game, I don't think they win the series. No matter. I don't think we get to a game seven against Halbert. And in George's defense, too, they really didn't need his scoring until this point. In the first two rounds, the Thunder were doing just fine. Going basket for basket. Shea was scoring at a much higher level. Chet was a more versatile, unlocked offensive weapon. Although he's kind of tilted up as the series has gone on, I think, with the offensive rebounding in particular.

[29:06] shit for them they are so desperate for offense and Lou Dort is he is contributing to the strangulation that's happening there [29:13] Yeah, I don't love plus minus, but even in the game the other night, [29:17] 18 minutes minus four in a game that they won by 13. Yeah. [29:21] And then what was he in this last one? [29:25] Yeah, minus 16 in 17 minutes. [29:28] I'm with you. I wonder, like, this is one of the things. I mean, I love so many things about a game seven. [29:34] You're just making different decisions than you're doing all year. Yeah. It's like, you're not there to, you don't care if feelings are hurt in a game seven. It's like, Hey Lou Dort, you're going to play eight minutes tonight. And that's just how it's going to go. Hey Caruso, you might play 32. We'll see what, [29:48] what Wemby can pull out of him from a, from a minute standpoint. I don't really understand his, how he's tired one day and then not tired the next. But when I saw him dressed, what was he dressed like a, like a monk today? Yeah. Yeah. [29:59] What was that outfit? I think it was, no? Throwback to... [30:03] Where did he go to talk to the monks? Tibet? [30:07] Shout out to everyone from Tibet. [30:10] With that outfit? [30:12] That's really something. All right, so your prediction, or you don't want to predict? I think OKC will win. [30:20] I don't feel great about it. Clearly the line between these two teams is very thin, but then varies wildly in terms of what the actual margin of victory is. I think for me... [30:29] The shooting of the role players tilting back OKC's way, as it seems like it just will when they go back home and every other game.

[30:36] the nerves kind of playing into their favor, having been in games like this before, and specifically for Shea. When it comes down to [30:44] Who do you feel confident will have the lift and the balance in their game in those moments? I do think you tilt a little toward the experience of someone like the Thunder in this case. And I do think that guys like Chet have made just enough of a change over the course of this series. He's been good defensively pretty much the whole way through, but he's finding enough ways to score where I'm like, I can kind of see the whole picture of a Thunder win coming together, even though based on tonight's game film, you would never expect it. Who do you think the Knicks want to win? [31:14] I think the Knicks want [31:16] the most injured version of the Thunder to win possible. [31:20] Like a banged up, worn and torn thunder. Yeah. I don't think... Even... [31:25] with how they played in the regular season and the cup with the Spurs and all that, both of the teams, the Knicks and the Spurs were in such different places. Then the idea of grappling with this version of Wemby is such a unique challenge and such a daunting one that I, I don't think anyone necessarily wants that versus, uh, [31:41] The Thunder are a great team. [31:42] incredibly formidable defense even still, but you see the state that J-Dub is in. You see that A.J. Mitchell isn't on the floor, and you see kind of like what that does to their offense to lack any kind of supplementary options whatsoever. [31:54] I think the Knicks would prefer that sort of matchup than trying to figure out the Spurs. [32:00] I'm leaning OKC as well. [32:04] It would be unusual. [32:06] For a team this young.

[32:08] to come back from 3-[redacted address] against the defending champs. [32:13] But you just made the point. [32:16] These aren't really the defending champs of J-Dubb. [32:19] is just going to basically not be playing. Yeah. I mean, I, at this point, like whatever he was doing tonight, I'd rather just not play him and ride with the guys I have. Hmm. [32:27] Um, [32:28] I wouldn't be surprised if Game 7, he plays that first three-minute blip, and then you never see him again. They try it for a second just to see if there's any more... [32:38] traction there, but if it looks like this, I don't think he can play much in that game. [32:44] Unbelievable stuff. Zach Lowe and I are going to be going live on Netflix. [32:49] after game seven. So my Sunday night pod [32:52] Um, this weekend is going to be a Saturday night pod. Um, we're just going to, [32:58] Just going to go for it. We'll see how it goes. Before you and I go, Rob Mahoney. [33:03] The lottery reform thing, House and Jacoby and I are about to talk about that after the break, and I'm going to give my thoughts to them. But the lottery reform, they really went for it. They did a bunch of stuff. There was one piece that we didn't talk about in the next segment that- [33:15] It looks like the second round is going to reverse the, [33:19] In order from... I didn't even see this. Yeah. Now, it hasn't been confirmed in the reporting yet, but it was one of the things they voted on. [33:27] that basically if you have the 16th pick, you'll have the first pick in the second round and, [33:32] Um, [33:34] My, spoiler alert, my thoughts were, all this sounds great until we end up with the 1993 situation of the Magic winning twice in a row. Yeah. Do you like this 3-2-1 thing?

[33:46] I like elements of it. I think there are parts of it that, especially in the transition, feel super clunky and maybe borderline unfair to some of the teams that have been operating under the assumption of the league as is as they try to put their teams together. The Grizzlies in particular, they get such a raw deal because of the trade that they made with the Jazz, where they have the Jazz's pick. Right. [34:09] I feel like most of the other widespread overhauls of a system like this in NBA history are usually stationed a couple years out for exactly this reason. It's like, okay, we got to let the pick protections expire. We got to get through this cycle of transactions. And then the changes will start. I applaud a more urgent dealing. [34:26] But the trade-off for that is like, I don't know how you could explain this to the Grizzlies. They're like, oh, I'm sorry. I know you thought you were getting what was going to be like a top five pick from the Jazz potentially in the future. But you're just fucked. [34:38] Well, and then the other side of it is like you're Indiana – [34:41] You trade... [34:43] your first rounder this year that you lose because of the protections. [34:47] And then you trade your 29 first as well. [34:50] And then all these rules come in. [34:52] And now that 29 first is a much better pick than it was. I feel like. [34:57] The picks that [34:59] really weren't like from the shittiest teams that were that next level of like playoff teams or French playoff teams. Like if you have like, [35:06] Miami's first round pick. Yeah. Right. [35:09] We have Golden State's first round pick or who knows, even having the Celtics pick in 2029. [35:15] All of a sudden, those picks gain value. Yes. And then the other piece of it where...

[35:20] Normally, the Celtics had those Nets picks a couple times. [35:24] And there was one year... [35:26] When, uh, [35:27] I think it was the [35:29] I can't remember which one of them, but Brooke Lopez was just on a heater. And it was like, we're going to get the top three pick from the Nets. And then Brooke Lopez was just going nuts for like two straight months because the Nets had nothing to play for. And they played into a little bit of a later position. Yeah. [35:44] Now it's like, [35:45] You could have a team's pick. They could play into that four to 10 spot. And now you have better odds than to pick anyway. So I don't know. It's there's they really, really blew this up in ways that I don't even know what all the ramifications are going to be. I'm surprised like you that they didn't wait a year. [36:02] and just say like, maybe even with the top five protection or whatever, you know, can't win two years in a row. Why not start that in 2027? We've seen that again with almost every other giant rule change in the league. [36:13] I mean, this is going to have, I would think, massive repercussions on the trade market in general for exactly what you outlined with the picks, right? Like any mid-level team is going to talk themselves into holding on to a pick because it could be immensely valuable under this new odds standard. And so I'm like, I'm cool with that as someone who like, I like talking about the games more than the potential trades. But I hope the league is okay with the fact that so much of the interest in the NBA is driven by who is the player your team can get. And I just think we're going to see fewer trades as a result of this. [36:43] It's going to really sap a lot of the energy out of really the ability for these teams to deal with each other. If it's all just player for player and there's really not a lot of sweetening involved with the picks.

[36:54] All right, I'm taking a break, and then House and Jacoby are coming on. We're going to do a mailbag, but we talk about lottery reform at the top. [37:00] More importantly for you, not only can we hear you on group chat on the Ringer NBA show, [37:05] But you're going live on Sunday. [37:08] For, uh, [37:09] for the season or series finale of Euphoria. We are not sure. Season finale, series finale, we have no idea. But you're going to be live on our Ringer TV YouTube channel. [37:20] You and Joanna Robinson. Yes. Was it an hour and a half? How long do we think this show's going to be? I think it's confirmed. It's over 90 minutes. Oh, my God. We're going to be going live at 830 Pacific. Come along. Maybe every character will be dead. Maybe we'll be setting up like a weird backdoor pilot season four. I don't know what's going on with this show anymore, but I can't wait to find out. They can't torture Jacob Elordi anymore because he's been killed off, right? Can they torture his corpse? Spoiler alert if you're not caught up on euphoria. It's not going well for Jacob Elordi right now. Just kidding. [37:50] Well, it's gone terribly. It's true. I don't think it could go worse. Correction, it's going very well for Jacob Elordi, who no longer has to be doing acting in one room by himself on the show anymore. But for Nate Jacobs, he's having a rough go. [38:04] You guys are bigger. You and Joanne are bigger fans of this season than I was. My daughter is laugh half full on everything. So she's like, no, no, it's good. It's good. I don't think it's been good. [38:14] I think you can really feel them filming in different [38:17] parts of [38:19] You know what I like on a TV show? When the best characters are all together for scenes. Imagine it. Yeah, a little radical. The other thing we're doing this weekend, because I'm on Saturday night with Zach,

[38:29] So Rewatchable is now moving to Sunday, and we did 2001. So that is coming as well. 2001, A Space Odyssey will now be running Sunday Night for Rewatchables. Rob, thanks for staying up with me. Great to see you. We're going to take a break, come back with House of Jacoby. Thanks, Bill. [38:45] The Bill Simmons Podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel giving you better payouts on same-game parlays, all NBA playoffs long. More ways to build and more value every time you play. Stack your picks your way, every game, every matchup, every moment, spreads, player points, threes, unders, whatever you want. Build it all into one same-game parlay. Go for bigger payouts. [39:04] If you're betting NBA same game parlays this postseason, do it on FanDuel. More options, better payouts, all NBA playoffs long. Head to FanDuel.com slash BS. [39:15] to get started. Fando official partner of the NBA. [39:18] Play your game. [39:20] 21 plus select states are 18 plus DC, Kentucky, Wyoming. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fando.com. Gain problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Call [redacted phone] or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut. [39:33] This episode is brought to you by PayPal.com. [39:36] On the court, the pitch, the track... [39:38] Even the pool, professional athletes show extraordinary physical flexibility. [39:43] For us normal people, we've got PayPal's flexible monthly payment plans. [39:47] Pay nothing at checkout, then enjoy a flexible monthly payment plan that works for you. [39:52] With no sign up, [39:53] or late fees. [39:55] And it's available. [39:57] and millions of stores. Pay monthly.

[39:59] with PayPal. Subject to approval, pay monthly consumer loans made by WebBank, available through PayPal, Inc., [40:07] NMLS 910457. Learn more at paypal.com slash paypal. [40:14] Pay monthly. [40:15] All right, we're recording this part of the podcast. It is before game six of Spurs Thunder. So if there's an Artes Melee situation or something crazy, we didn't know about it. [40:24] The lottery reform came in today, guys. [40:27] The 3-2-1 method. [40:29] Thank you. [40:29] There's going to be 37 balls total. [40:33] The bottom three teams will get two instead of three. They're calling it the relegation zone. [40:39] Um, [40:40] They can't fall lower than the 12th pick from what I can gather. And, um, [40:45] I don't know if I like this or not. [40:47] I like it more than I did a month ago. [40:50] But I still feel like House's Wizards, for instance, if they if you had tried the whole year, how many games would you have won House? [40:57] If you'd really tried, [40:58] 20-ish. I mean, with the original roster with CJ McCollum, because they went on a stretch where they won five of seven games at the end of December into early January. Like, hey, CJ, great to see you. Thank you for everything. They literally traded him after that stretch of success. But I have a more important question, which is to Kobe, which is, how many times has he tried the 3-2-1 method with his wife? [41:22] Bye. [41:23] Ha ha ha ha. [41:25] Has you been in the relegation zone? The answer is yes. I've definitely been in the relegation zone. Well, here's the thing. You mentioned the McCollum trade.

[41:35] So one of the benefits of this, I guess, would be that we're going to see less deadline trades and giveaways. And we're going to see less of just Anthony Davis getting traded for nothing or like what the Bulls did. [41:46] From the Bulls, like... [41:48] Do I trade Desumu and do I trade Kobe White if... [41:52] It's not really technically going to make me that much worse. And I'm going to be in that four to 10 range, which is going to have the most ping pong balls anyway. Are we going to see guys get... [42:01] given away? Are we going to see, conversely, teams that are worried about being in the relegation zone [42:06] trying to trade for players that will help them. There's all of these ramifications to this that I'm trying to wrap my head around, Jacob's. But the biggest thing, and we were all alive for this, was the 93 lottery. [42:18] when [42:19] They did 66 balls and they did, it was 11 teams in the lottery. House remembers this. We were both out of college. [42:26] And it basically was the most simple way you could do it. The worst team got 11 balls. Second worst got 10. [42:32] Third worst got nine and went all the way down to the best of the worst teams was Orlando, who got one ball. They had a one in 66 chance. [42:40] And they got Chris Webber. [42:42] who they then traded for Penny Hardaway and three first-round picks, and everyone lost their fucking minds. Do you remember this? [42:48] Because they got Shaq the year before, then they got Weber, and everybody was like, oh my God, how can this happen? And that led to 30 years of lottery reform, Jacoby. So why wouldn't that happen again with this new system? [43:01] Well, I don't know. [43:02] A couple things. Number one, that's not the biggest thing. The biggest thing is that they're going to televise it.

[43:05] Like we were talking about this last time I was on. Oh, live in person. Like you got to remember like this, you know, Jacoby, the TV producer, I've got to put my producer hat on here. Like this is now a television event. [43:14] Instead of like them doing it in some back room and then like a host reading it. That to me is the biggest thing. It's like, it'll be a really fun thing to watch. Franchises change like right there in the moment instead of like, it is a little stale when like Erson Young has it in a briefcase or whatever. And it's like in this secret room. I like the idea that it's going to happen live on television. It's going to be a television event. The second best thing about this. Well, hold on. We figured it's going to be 37 balls. Yeah. [43:40] And just one pops out and that's it. Like they're not going to do the complicated four balls thing. It'll just be one. [43:47] Yeah, it'll be like, I imagine it'll be like, like watching like the, the lotto on like the, the, the five o'clock news when we were kids, there'll be like some hot girl, just like the ball pop up. It'll have like a, way easier to fix house. Here's the thing. Jacoby, uh, the most recent draft was very dramatic. Um, and I know that the, that people knew the results. I didn't know the results. Um, yeah. [44:11] And it was it was live enough for me. I mean, it was very, very the last five picks as a fan of, you know, the wizard was I was on the edge of my seat. I was barely breathing. That's fair. But that's why we need the actual GMs out there, the people at the most at stake in real time. What was your second favorite thing, Jacob's? [44:31] Easily. And my pod brother, Chris Vernon, it was not unanimous. The governor voted 29 approved and one did not. And the Memphis Grizzlies were like, fuck this. I love it so much. And that all has to do with the Utah pick we've discussed. But I just love the idea that the Grizzlies are just like somehow the Grizzlies get screwed no matter what.

[44:54] Well, the thing is, in a fantasy league, if you change the rules, that's dramatically for the next year where people have future stuff. [45:00] There would be a lot of arguments and angry emails going back and forth about, well, I have three first round picks in the minor league draft next year. Now you're changing rules. I mean, this is bullshit. You're trying to screw me. [45:09] But somehow that didn't happen in the NBA. They did add the top five restricted thing. They did add the you couldn't win the picks two years in a row, the first pick. [45:18] So I like that stuff, but... [45:22] I don't know. I feel like this could... [45:25] lead to some result. [45:27] that we're all completely horrified by. [45:29] Right. [45:30] Like OKC having somebody's pick who's the 10th pick and then OKC ending up with the first pick or just some sort of thing where they're like, oh, this was the worst case scenario and it happened because that's what happened with the Chris Weber thing. I don't mind it, though. I don't mind the idea of a relegation zone and teams being humiliated. [45:47] House's team should have been humiliated the last couple years, and it finally happened with Bam out of Bios. They were humiliated. [45:54] All they're doing was responding as rational actors to a system that they didn't create. [46:00] but they certainly leveraged the opportunity. [46:04] So we'll see what set of opportunities. Sounds like we all kind of like it. [46:08] Well, it's an improvement. And also, like, all NBA changes, they're just, like, floating out ideas to see how the public reacts to it. And this has got, like, I read the thing, it's called, like, a sunset. [46:19] provision. So it actually is only in place for until the 29 year. So they can't change it. If something goofy happens, they're sort of being like, we're testing this. It's a three-year test drive and we'll reevaluate in three years, which I kind of like too.

[46:32] The whole concept of watching your team suck ass shit, [46:35] for six months and then falling into the relegation zone. [46:39] is really rough. [46:43] We really got to... Because there's going to be some fan bases. If that had happened to Indiana this year... [46:49] They don't have Halbert and they lose Turner. They have a bunch of injuries the first half of the year. [46:54] And just by no fault of their own, they ended up bottom three and had two balls instead of three. That's rough. [46:59] Well, they got the functional equivalent of that. I mean, for all of that pain, they got Zubach. Oh, yeah. You're right. They drafted Zubach. Richard's going to apologize again. [47:09] I'll tell you this. [47:11] I'll pass along some intel that's been floating around. [47:14] Ooh. [47:15] Um, [47:16] Apparently the Kings love Acuff. [47:19] which I don't think is the super secret there at 7pm. [47:22] And the Clippers have five and don't need Acuff because they have – [47:26] They have a point guard already. [47:28] And it would be really easy for them to flip picks and for them to end up with a little extra something something from Sacramento, which – [47:34] I guess it would be some sort of swap or future pick, whatever. [47:37] They could turn that Zubac pick into the seventh pick, Indiana's 20-29 pick, and then something from Sacramento, the best team in the league to trade for, which would make it one of the better trades we've had. [47:49] Right. [47:49] just for Zubats, who's like, I like Zubats. I voted for him 13 years ago, but that's [47:54] An incredible trade. I have to get off some stuff that I forgot to do on Tuesday. [48:00] Um, biggest losers from the Knicks Cavs sweep.

[48:04] in the East. I'm just going to read this to you in no particular order. Speaking of Sacramento, [48:11] Did you see this? This was floating around a little bit about Sacramento, the 2026 finals. If San Antonio makes it, it could be Mike Brown against Aaron Fox. 25 Halliburton was the best guy in a finals team. [48:24] 24, Luca was the best guy on a finals team who they passed up for Marvin Bagley. [48:29] And then 2023, Michael Malone... [48:33] was the coach of the team that won. House, do you have anyone from Sacramento that could throw the Wizards into this for 27? [48:39] I saw that. I don't think. [48:41] I really admired it. But, you know, it only parallels... [48:46] Washington, this Washington franchise, I think the streak is now up to [48:51] 18 straight finals, 19 straight finals, where a former wizard is going to participate in the finals. But the kings are the gift that keeps on giving. That's where our focus should be. It's appropriately there. And let's just let them keep doing what they're doing. It's very good for the basketball. It's very good for the narratives. It's very good for our podcasts, like the Over Under podcast at the beginning. It's one of the only things we got right. [49:19] Zach Lowe was the most vicious I've ever seen Zach Lowe. He really loved it. It went dark. It was like watching a TV drama when the cop goes dark and starts doing weird shit. [49:30] I feel like you guys should be in the relegation zone because of that over-unders podcast. We probably should. I mean, I'd be fine with it. We've only got to pick 25 of the teams. Jacobes, we dealt with Sacramento. I think Vivek's a nice guy. I've always run. Anytime I run to, he's a super nice guy. I'm not sure he should own an NBA team. I'm pretty sure at this point. But we dealt with him for that Grantland thing we did.

[49:51] when they picked Stauskas, which was one of those mini documentaries... [49:55] that we had, I forget what year was that, like 2011 or 2012? I was at 13, yeah. Yeah, 13, they let us in their draft room, [50:03] And it was clear nobody wanted to take Stauskas instead, except for Vivek, who overruled everyone. It's like Stauskas, Stauskas. And it became this great internet moment. And he's just been giving us comedy ever since. [50:15] Nothing was better than the maybe we should play four guys on defense thing. It was like, what? I forgot about that. It's like some things that shouldn't be said out loud. But they actually came to us for that. [50:29] We will give you full access to our draft room. We're like, sure. That's a big, a pretty respected it. All right. So Sacramento is a loser. [50:37] Detroit's GM not doing anything at the trade deadline, which we all killed them on on every podcast we have. Why not? [50:44] But I really wonder if they watch that going, fuck, if we'd had one more score. [50:48] James Harden, [50:51] who I thought took a proper pounding from everybody the last couple of weeks. But, [50:56] He's four straight trades now where the team that got him probably has real regrets after the trade. [51:02] What is, what's the equivalent of this house? Like what food order is the, I regret it the next day food order, but it seemed like a great idea at 830 at night after three drinks. I'm going to say this with love in my heart. I'm going to say this respectfully. The answer for me personally is Kentucky fried chicken for some reason. [51:20] it just decimates me. And I only order it under the circumstances you just described. If I'm having fried chicken and I'm sober, then I order Popeyes because Popeyes is by far. And then if, you know, Popeyes isn't around, it's Bojangles. I mean, the South, I'm where I have access. But

[51:36] Kentucky Fried Chicken is everywhere and it does have a tendency to be open till two in the morning in a lot of places. [51:44] Cubs, you agree with that? Yeah. [51:46] James Harden, the KFC order. Four straight teams now. Anything after 11 p.m. is the answer. That's the appropriate answer. That's true. That's true. Those are now being called James Harden's. [51:59] The other great James, hard to think, [52:01] 98 playoff wins now. [52:03] without a finance appearance. [52:06] which ties him for the all-time record with Karl Malone. [52:10] They're now linked. Carl Malone and James Harden. Most playoff wins without a finals appearance. All right. So I'm making him a loser. I want to push back. Why is James Harden a loser as a result of... I mean, there are very specific things you can point to. Once again, several games where his turnover has exceeded. How about just not running back on fast breaks? Just terrible transition defense that's been the story of his career? That's right. [52:37] That's right. It's been the story of his career. It's no longer a bug. It's a feature. Plus, he's 36 years old. So my real quibble with Cleveland and Harden, I thought that trade was successful. I think it made sense. They couldn't rely on Darius Garland anymore. They went on a run. They put themselves in the top four seeds of the East and they handled their business all the way up until they encountered a team that's just better than them.

[53:07] Harden was important to them, especially in the first two series. They both those series went seven games. I'm not defending James Harden. But what I'm saying is I don't think he's a loser based on what we just saw. He's 36 years old. The franchise is the loser, especially if they extend him. But James Harden was just James Harden to me. [53:25] But that's... [53:26] The issue. Jacob's. [53:28] They clearly have a wink wink with them. It's already come out. Yeah. [53:32] So it's not just like, oh, we've traded for James Harden's expiring contract and we dumped the Garland thing and we'll be way under the tax next year because this money is coming up. [53:42] He's going to get like a two or three year deal for like 30 million a year. [53:46] So they're actually... [53:47] actually stuck with him going forward, knowing that him and Mitchell as a defensive backcourt isn't great. So I would say that's bad. [53:55] I also thought it was bad at the end of... [53:58] Game one, when Brunson just went after him, possession after possession after possession. Snatched his soul. And yes, that wasn't great. And then after the series. That's Kenny Atkinson. That's the whole stuff. I know. That is Atkinson. I'm sure Atkinson's going to be on this list. But also after the series, when he says, we are the better team. [54:14] I was like, oh, I just saw four basketball contests between the two of you. And I didn't have the same impression, Mr. Harden. That was superb. I loved him for doing that. He was wonderful. I thought I played great defense. I thought we were the better team. Magnificent. Standing ovation. I have some good zags today. Are you going to dog on Kenny Atkinson being one of the big losers? No, no, no. I mean, I don't think he'll ever live that down. I feel like that's going to come up for the rest of his coaching career.

[54:42] He cannot and he should not, and he shouldn't be a head coach ever again. I mean, I'm still looking for – [54:48] I'm looking for those timeouts that he held on to in game one. I'm looking for him on eBay. He hasn't put them up yet, but I wonder what price he could get for those. He feels like they were valuable to him. [55:00] in some form or fashion, because they're still in his pocket. He can't use now because they're not playing any more games, but. [55:07] No, that dude is an assistant coach. [55:10] The combo of that, [55:11] to James Harden having to bring him back. [55:14] being way over the luxury tax again, and then having the Knicks fans completely take over your arena for two straight games, which happened in two straight series, by the way. [55:22] Um, that was about as rough of a sweep as I can remember. We've had bad sweeps. [55:28] That was like, Jacob's, what was the worst sweep than that? [55:32] It was like a soul-snatching sweep, right? It had everything you would want because they looked so good at the beginning of game one. And I'm sitting there watching it. I'm like, the Knicks had too much time off. Like, they're too rusty. This other team has been in battles for two seven-game series. They're a better team. They were so much better for that first half. So they had the... [55:51] the gut-wrenching [55:52] loss in overtime. Then everything else was just completely outclassed for in game two and game three. Then you had the fan takeover and then you have game four where you, [56:02] Mitchell comes out and he's giving it, he's giving it his best in the first half. And the second half, they just didn't, they quit. They just gave up. And then you can hear the chance. It was just like, that's pretty bad. I mean, it's also bad that,

[56:14] When they had to come out with a headline that said, the Cavs are continuing with Kenny Atkinson, it was shocking. I was like, oh, whoa. I had to read it twice. I was like, oh. They made an announcement that he's keeping his job. Well, how's the counter is they finish fourth in the 30-team league. [56:32] Don't overreact. [56:33] Well, counter to the counter, they were supposed to win 57 games. They were supposed to match the output of the previous year. And they had to trade Darius Garland. [56:43] before the trade deadline to capture the winning percentage. And there is no explanation other than in and out. I mean, Mobley was supposed to continue to take another step. I mean, here's the thing for me. It's a sour situation. You laid it out, BS. [56:59] Let me ask you guys this. [57:01] When... [57:02] Let's just look at the calendar. What date? Before or after August the 1st is the first rumor that, [57:09] that Donovan Mitchell would be interested in playing for a different basketball team. [57:14] And is that as exciting for 12 other teams as it was like a year ago? [57:19] Well, I had my next loser... [57:22] Evan Mobley, who I think is now a legit threat to be the fall guy. [57:26] And get sent somewhere. Because they got to get into the attack somehow. [57:30] And if they have the wink-wink with Harden, then it's Jared Allen, it's Mobley, or it's [57:35] Or it's Mitchell. [57:37] Jacobes, do you think, could you see yourself at Barclays next year? [57:41] eating a $15 Finney's pizza, and watching Mobley run high screens with Ben Sarafe.

[57:48] Thank you. [57:49] Is that in play? It's not so exciting. That's not good. What if he was running with Nolan Traore? [57:55] that's not doing it for me either no you're not taking that train down there I do kind of like Yeager Joman I can't afford to go to Knicks games so Knicks games are in play uh [58:07] I can see both [58:09] arguments, right? This was the first series with this core where they were really healthy. Every other year, there was like, yeah, but Garland was out. I also feel like Mitchell was compromised against the Knicks, but I don't think that was going to make such a big difference. I could see [58:25] them saying, [58:27] Let's make some tweaks and not make a huge move this offseason. But I could also see them saying, we've had this core – [58:33] It has been mildly successful and very successful in the regular season, but not successful in the postseason. Something needs to change. [58:39] I could see both sides of this decision. Who says no to Mobley for the sixth pick? [58:45] Uh, who has the six pick Brooklyn? [58:48] No. [58:49] Yeah. [58:50] Yeah, Cavs ain't now. You stake 50 million bucks. [58:54] You bring in a guy making about nine. That's a different incentive. You save almost 40 million bucks and then all the luxury tax stuff too. [59:02] The reason why it's reasonable is because if that team looks in the mirror and, you know, drinks some actual sort of honest serum, some truth serum, [59:11] Are they better than the Celtics next year? Do they think they are? That's why I'd be blowing it up. Do they think that they're better? I would trade Mitchell if I were them, but I just think they have to do something.

[59:21] I think they had their window and this is it. Like the East is going to be better next year. I don't see how they're better next year. [59:27] pardon a year older. So, um, [59:30] Another loser, LeBron James. I feel like... [59:33] Cleveland was a [59:35] like a fifth ring title chase team. [59:39] I'll go there. You guys are close. I'll take the minimum. [59:42] Everyone loves when somebody takes the minimum. When Carl Malone did that for the 0304 Lakers, it was like, oh my God, this guy just wants to win, man. He'll do anything. [59:51] I don't think LeBron's fixing anything if he goes there. [59:54] They weren't a LeBron James away from... [59:57] beating the Knicks and then [1:00:00] going into the next round against San Antonio OKC and winning. And I just think that option's out. [1:00:06] Let's see it. [1:00:07] You agree, Jacob's? [1:00:09] I'm fascinated by what LeBron does this offseason because I can't see – [1:00:13] Anything that works. [1:00:15] Like literally of all the teams, like none of it really makes sense. And the problem is he is a valuable player. So he should be compensated. [1:00:24] for his production. [1:00:26] What's the price though? Because it's not a max price, but is it like 25 mil a year house? What is it? 30? Two for 50? [1:00:35] It's whatever the team he decides he wants to spend next year with can afford and fit and have one more great player. I still love – I mean, honestly, I think LeBron is a winner by virtue of what happened with Cleveland. Cleveland's the loser, not LeBron. LeBron wins by not having him. LeBron doesn't have to go there. And he doesn't have to be coached by Kenny Atkinson. I mean, what are we talking about? The two options to me that are viable, A, number one, the one I root for the most is the one that you threw out there,

[1:01:05] to Golden State. Oh, Durant too? Can we put Davis in the Durant spot? I have Davis in there now. [1:01:11] You have Davis going to Golden State? Yeah. So it's AD, LeBron. The Wiz get Butler and Golden State's 27 first. [1:01:19] You're doing that. Yeah, you're locking that down. Take that. I'll take that right now. They figure out how to get LeBron with the mid-level. They bring Davis. They still have the 11th pick. They'll get a good player because this draft's really good. [1:01:31] And we get the expendables. I had a fake sign and trade. I don't know if this is possible with the Harden. Who knows what the Harden extension is, but... [1:01:39] Could you do a three-way where [1:01:42] Durant goes to the Lakers, LeBron goes to the Cavs, and Harden goes back to Houston. [1:01:48] And all the money just kind of works. And it's just kind of... [1:01:52] It's just Durant's playing with Luka and Reeves. LeBron goes back to Cleveland, but is able to make like 35, 40 million a year and then. [1:02:00] Harden just goes to Houston and kind of gives them something they need, which is a guy who can create offense. House likes that one. [1:02:07] It's kind of funny. It's kind of funky. It's a merry-go-round of old guys. [1:02:12] The problem is... [1:02:14] I think LeBron and JJ, the only other, like there's only a handful of coaches I can see LeBron. [1:02:21] tying his his wagon too yeah but you can't they're not paying him more than i don't think 15 million a year that's crazy they got to pay reeves like [1:02:29] 40. [1:02:30] You still want to make the team better. You have a window with Luka now where you have to improve it. I just don't see them doing it. I think another loser is the Celtics, who won a title in 2024 with a 27-year-old star and a 26-year-old star.

[1:02:45] and now have twice, two years in a row, lost their... [1:02:48] team you'd most want to be in the East title. [1:02:51] They lose it last year to Indiana. That's like, I'd rather be Indiana going forward with the Tatum injury. And then this year, you'd be like, oh, I'd rather be the Knicks. They're going to have clearly a three-year run. [1:03:01] And the Celtics now have to deal with this... [1:03:04] Juggernaut next team. [1:03:06] Miami probably getting Giannis, Detroit probably getting somebody else and [1:03:12] Maybe they missed their window. It's depressing. I don't need you guys to talk about the Celtics. I want to mention that. No, Bill, you've not mentioned the Twitch streaming. I mean, we have to. [1:03:21] I've never seen someone sort of at alone in their house, talking to the computer, jeopardize their future with their franchise. I've never seen anything like this. And like fighting with Stephen A. Like what? I don't understand what's happening. He's like proposing like a neutral site. Stephen A debate. [1:03:37] What is happening? By the way, I'd be excited for that. Yeah, I was thinking if there was... [1:03:42] If there was a ringer staffer, [1:03:44] who started to do the Jalen Brown Twitch thing every night and was just kind of dancing with the line night after night. We probably would have had a phone call at this point like, hey, [1:03:54] Just check it in Yeah you know I don't know if this is a great idea Another loser Masai Harry [1:04:02] who, [1:04:03] Can we talk about he gave up Siakam and Ananobi? [1:04:07] Who are two key pieces of the last two Eastern finals teams that we have. [1:04:12] And he got quickly RJ Barrett and two firsts in the twenties. It seemed to be Joe Dumas house.

[1:04:17] Well, he lost his job. He got fired for it. He lost his job after, but they win the title because of the Kawhi trade, and then Dumar's style, everything he does after that is kind of shaky. [1:04:27] I feel like it was fair for us, you know, the number of years leading up to this most recently completed season to be extremely critical of Toronto and the moves we were making. We were befuddled by them, the money they were spending on players. I mean, it's still, you know, Isaiah quickly is this Isaiah Emmanuel. I know is is is now like the poster child for how you don't do stuff in this. Yeah, you don't want $30 million six men. You don't want $30 million centers. [1:04:56] Um, [1:04:57] Another loser is Adam Silver. [1:05:00] Because the James Dolan finals feud is here. [1:05:03] This is going to be so fascinating to see how this works out. I don't think there's a lot of love lost. And I think usually when you have the, [1:05:11] the finals in a location, the owners... [1:05:13] usually helpful with the league. Not sure that's happening this time. I have two more. [1:05:18] Vivek Prokhorov... [1:05:20] Robert Sarver and Glenn Taylor. [1:05:22] Have I now passed James Dolan in the worst owners rankings in the 21st century? [1:05:27] I think Dolan's out of the Mount Rushmore now. I mean, he... [1:05:30] Handed over this team. They made Eastern Finals last year. They made the Finals this year. He's out. [1:05:35] And I think it's Vivek Prokhorov, Sarver, Glenn Taylor. Does that sound like the right list, Jacob? [1:05:40] Anybody else you'd throw in there? [1:05:43] Off top of your head? You're pretty good there. [1:05:45] Prokhorov was amazing. He doesn't get enough credit.

[1:05:49] Oh, no. Yeah, he was fantastic. Yeah, we're going to spend money. We're spending more money than any team ever, than a year later. I don't want to spend money anymore. He said he would get married if they didn't win the championship. Yeah. It's like, what? [1:06:01] I think actually Glenn Taylor might have been the worst one, though, because he even sold his team for way less than what it was worth. [1:06:08] Like he was just terrible owner. He even fucked up the sale of his own franchise. [1:06:13] And then tried to do a lawsuit over it. Yeah, and then tried to sue the guys that bought it. [1:06:17] A dead loser. I'm wondering, should Prokhorov and Josiah be lumped together? [1:06:22] Because Josiah basically tried to run back the Prokhorov playbook. [1:06:27] With Harden, Kyrie. Josiah just seems like he's loyal to a front office that's not very good for some reason. Josiah at least made runs. If Harden and Kyrie don't get hurt that year, they'd probably win the title, right? All I'll say is Reinsdorf would like a word. He'd like some consideration in this conversation. That's fair. Chicago is a pretty big market. [1:06:48] The legacy kit owners... [1:06:50] which we always have made fun of being terrible. Legacy Kid Owners won in 23, 24, and 26. [1:06:56] Celtics win 24-24. [1:07:00] 23, the Cronkies. Josh was running the Nuggets. And then 26, James Allen. [1:07:05] There you go for that. All right, we're going to take a break. [1:07:08] We're going to come back and have some good mailbag stuff for you guys. [1:07:12] This episode is brought to you by Boar's Head. What if we told you the taste of deep fried turkey is now available at your local deli? Well, Boar's Head just did that. Bursting with flavor, perfectly seasoned with that indulgent taste that usually means planning your whole day around it.

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[1:08:56] Um, [1:08:59] I want to put [1:09:01] Gino Smith in there. [1:09:03] what a phenomenal answer Gino's good for what team this is very funny [1:09:10] This is very funny. [1:09:11] Go ahead. [1:09:13] The Jets! [1:09:16] Okay. Think about it. Think about it. House? [1:09:19] I had two guys. I had Anthony Edwards because, you know, Minnesota deserves somebody and it's there's nobody on their football team that you can point to. I mean, if Kyler Murray turns out to be, you know. [1:09:33] Some incredible version, but I... Right. So I love Anthony Edwards, and then I feel like Joe Burrow could be in the conversation. Cincinnati, the football team has a long... [1:09:44] I tried to come up with somebody from Atlanta, but I don't, [1:09:48] I don't think Atlanta gives enough of a shit about sports. Ironically, it'll be Anthony Edwards. [1:09:52] When he goes to Atlanta. [1:09:54] I had Anthony Edwards as well. I had Joe Burrow. I had Devin Booker. [1:10:02] Because the sun's [1:10:03] even though they've been relevant every decade, have never actually won the title. And then I just put Browns QB TBD. [1:10:12] If it ever happens for them, I think that's top three. We just don't know who that is. But I think right now, I like that Josh Allen won Jalen Brunson too. I think that's right. Very good. If Jalen Brunson wins the title for the Knicks... [1:10:25] It's an all-time...

[1:10:27] You're a hero. It's a standing O when you walk into a room. It's basically what Ortiz is like in Boston, where Ortiz, like even now, all these years later, just walks in. People start applauding. [1:10:37] I want to push back a little bit on Josh Allen. Yeah. [1:10:41] Give me Caleb Williams. [1:10:43] Okay. [1:10:45] because it's Chicago, they just live and die with the Bears. They've never had a good quarterback somehow. They did win 40 years ago. The entire history of the franchise. Yeah, they did. [1:10:54] And, you know, and the Bills have a history, but I feel like just the big marketness of the city and like, you know, when the Cubs won, what a big deal it was. And, you know, I've been to Buffalo games. I've been to Buffalo a few times. It's a small town. You know what I mean? I just don't know what's going to impact the world the same way that a Bears Super Bowl win on the back of a quarterback instead of a defense at a running back would be would be big. [1:11:19] When Jacoby says... [1:11:20] The Bills have a history. [1:11:22] that's like saying Lamar Odom has tried drugs a couple of times. Like that's just the bills have more than a history. [1:11:32] The bills are the fucking conjuring house. All right. Next question is from Kevin. [1:11:38] Jalen Brunson's success is often credited to a strong work ethic and mastery of fundamentals, similar [1:11:43] to Jake Shuttlesworth, the father character, and he got game. [1:11:47] Trying to instill into his son Jesus at a young age. That would be Rick Brunson. Do you think that Rick Brunson is a real life Jake Shuttlesworth, [1:11:56] Jake Shuttlesworth, a Sands manslaughter.

[1:11:59] Thank you. [1:12:01] So Jake Shuttle, I thought it was Shuttlesworth. [1:12:06] I thought it was Sans, too, not Sans, but okay. Whatever. Or Sans. Sans? Sans. Sans, yeah, Sans. Sans manslaughter. Got it. So do you think Jake, no manslaughter, good Rick Brunson thing? Probably he wouldn't love it, but I do feel like that's one of the reasons – [1:12:23] Jalen Brunson is so tough though. You got the feeling his dad was just, it's like a sports movie. It's like, [1:12:29] Not as bad as great Santini, but [1:12:31] It's all based on that one video. It's that one video that we have of him dribbling up and they're filming it. And his dad is being such a hard-o. And it seems like poor little Jalen Brunson is not having a good time in that video. He's not enjoying working out with his dad on that sunny day. That video to me, I didn't love it, to be honest with you. It's like me and Zoe with soccer, like some of the videos we have. It's Shuttlesworth. I knew I was right. Shuttlesworth. [1:13:01] Rick's role, which is enormous on the bench and in the organization, because I think he's had a hand, a steering hand in all of the team building that's taken place over the last three years that put this team into the finals. [1:13:17] And he definitely had a hand in convincing his son to take an under market extension so that they could bring in this this extra talent. I mean, it's a fascinating documentary at some point after this run is over, maybe even after Brunson's career is over. Let's sit down and really talk to the Brunsons about what went down for this time. Well, you left out.

[1:13:40] They hired Rick Brunson as assistant coach. [1:13:44] before the summer that they were trying to sign Jalen Brunson to make him leave Dallas, which was an old college trick that they would do where you would sign the dad on the college team as you're trying to recruit the kid. [1:13:54] So that worked too. I mean, Weston Leon played all the tricks with building this next team. [1:13:58] They were working it. They get OG and an OB. [1:14:01] knowing that he's going to be a free agent, but also knowing that he's a CA client, that I have a relationship, that they could probably talk him into staying and [1:14:08] This is a relationships business, Chicobs. [1:14:12] Remember they went to Jalen Brunson's playoff games too. They like sat there while he was on the maps. It was very obviously that they were interested in that. I'm terrified that someone will investigate the Brunson deal because it just really makes no sense on paper unless, you know, perhaps. [1:14:28] You know, there's a tree planting company somewhere. Yeah, right. Could be a tree planting company in New York. Mark Cuban was really on a heater in the 2020s. [1:14:38] he could add Brunson for four for 55 and went low by somehow lost Brunson just loses him [1:14:46] Right? [1:14:47] Then decides to sell the team. He sells right before all the franchise valuations go flying up. Sells for way less. Sells it to this ownership. [1:14:56] that then... [1:14:57] Oh, and by the way, I hired Nico Harrison before... [1:15:01] He sold to the ownership. [1:15:03] And then Nico Harrison trades their best player. And now he's like, I don't, I can't believe you did that. It's like, you've, you're the reason they don't have Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic. You're literally the reason.

[1:15:13] With the extra irony of him thinking that he was going to have some continuing decision-making role, some continuing input role. Which has never happened in sports history. [1:15:24] Not only that, but it's been reported that Harrison was one of the people who immediately took a giant knife and stuck it right in Cuban's back on that idea. Really crazy. Amazing. Michael from Gower, Missouri. [1:15:37] Wants to know if the Thunder, if they win back-to-back, should retire Kawhi's jersey. [1:15:42] considering he's basically the reason this entire run is happening because the Paul George trade, [1:15:47] Are there any other examples of players that never played for a team but had such a massive success that they should have their jersey retired anyway? [1:15:54] First of all, [1:15:55] It should be Kawhi and Paul George's jerseys together. [1:15:59] Would be the move. I'm not against it. [1:16:03] It's the most important moment in the history of the franchise that did that trade. [1:16:08] But I was thinking like a player... [1:16:10] who single-handedly caused a title for another team. [1:16:14] And the only one I can really think of in the history of the NBA where you can literally say like, [1:16:18] Thanks to that guy, we won the title. [1:16:20] is Frank Selvey. [1:16:22] On the 1962 Los Angeles Lakers. [1:16:25] Game seven. [1:16:26] End of the game. [1:16:28] Has a nine-footer, and if he makes it, the Lakers win the title, and he missed it. [1:16:31] Baseline jumper. It's like a 12 footer. [1:16:34] And if he makes it, Celtics lose to the Lakers. We don't have Jerry West, like... [1:16:39] you know, as the character in the HBO series someday. [1:16:42] There's been other moments where it was like, oh, if that hadn't happened, like Maynou fouling Dirk in 2006. But Frank Self is the only one we could say if he makes that shot,

[1:16:52] The title changes. [1:16:54] Um, [1:16:54] But here's my question for you guys. [1:16:57] Could teams retire GMs? [1:17:00] maybe not numbers, but the names... [1:17:02] of GM decisions from other teams that led to a bunch of titles for them. So I'm going to give you four. [1:17:08] David Kahn. [1:17:10] Minnesota. [1:17:11] took Ricky Rubio and then Johnny Flynn over Steph Curry. [1:17:16] And could Golden State like have a David Kahn ceremony thanking him for what he did? [1:17:21] Same thing for Stu Inman, the Portland Trailblazers GM. [1:17:26] who took Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, should probably be in the rafters in Chicago. [1:17:31] Bob Bass. [1:17:33] Charlotte Cornett's GM 1996. [1:17:38] The Lakers are like, we'll trade you Vlade Divac for the 13th pick. He's like, that sounds great. Vlade Divac is really good. And trades them Kobe Bryant and they win five things. And then. [1:17:48] The last one, this is my favorite. Slick Leonard, the 1978 coach GM of the Indiana Pacers, has the number one pick in 1978. [1:17:57] And it's the draft where you could pick Larry Bird, [1:18:00] and wait a year for him to come into the league. [1:18:03] He's playing for Indiana State. [1:18:05] Indiana is in such bad shape as a franchise. They had a telethon that year to try to save the team. That's how broke they are. [1:18:13] They don't take Larry Bird. They trade back from one to three with Portland for Johnny Davis in the third pick. [1:18:19] And then their fans think, oh, they traded back because we're taking Bird. Nope. They took Rick Roby.

[1:18:24] And then the Celtics got him sick. So you could argue slick Leonard to GM. But Jacobes, do you like the idea of retiring GM fans? [1:18:33] Helpful GM. I don't. [1:18:34] I don't like the idea of the opposing GM. No, no, because it's in the Raptors forever. You're going to have to tell your grandkids. What is that doing there? Who was Slick Leonard? You have to explain. I like the idea of just having a night. One of my favorite moments in sports history was when – [1:18:49] The Red Sox fans in Fenway were cheered Mariano Rivera. Oh, yeah. 2005. And he tipped his cap. You know what I mean? It was one of my favorite moments in sports history because he was so cool about it. He's already a champion in the Hall of Fame and a legend. He had a sense of humor about it. I think it should be a night like that. There would be like one night where it's David Kahn night. [1:19:07] in Golden State. He comes out there at halftime to do a little ceremony and they cheer him. They interview him. So David, you took two point guards in 09. Neither of them were Steph Curry. Let's walk through it. What a great moment for us. It feels like a celebration instead of a permanent fixture inside the arena that's there forever. [1:19:26] So, [1:19:26] Jack from Atlanta writes... [1:19:29] I'm consistently amazed by Adam Silver's inability to have a feel for public perception of the league. I don't think that's fair, but the playoffs are the most important time of the season. The constant talk among my friends is flopping. [1:19:41] Why can't we shame these players for being uncool? Why can't they come up with something? [1:19:45] to stop this. This has been a topic. [1:19:48] on a lot of shows. I, [1:19:49] I've been thinking about this a lot. [1:19:51] And it's weird. It wasn't an SGA moment. It was that moment where, [1:19:54] when, uh,

[1:19:56] maybe it was AJ Mitchell, whoever was somebody who was setting a screen and they went flying and they called an offensive foul. And the guy said in the Spurs. [1:20:05] Yeah, and then they did the wide shot, the overhead shot of him. [1:20:11] bumping into the guy and then flailing. And I wonder, like, when they added the flagrant foul point system, [1:20:19] which most famously came back to haunt Draymond in 2016. [1:20:24] when he had to miss game five because he had too many points. [1:20:28] Would you guys be cool if they had like a flopping point penalty system? [1:20:32] where the lead just announced the next day, we find SGA one flopping point for... [1:20:38] third quarter or whatever. And it's just like you get to 15 points, you miss the next game. [1:20:42] Like, would people sign up for that? Because I actually think I would. Jacoby's shaking his head now. [1:20:47] I love it. I absolutely love it. In the same way that they upgraded the Plumlee foul, smart people review the tape. In the moment, you can't... Because they do have a flopping foul, but in real time, you can't ask the refs to evaluate that in real time. So I think they could do some sort of... [1:21:05] Even if it's like the two-minute report, like we reviewed the tape and there's seven foul, I mean, flops. Even if it's just like public shaming. But one thing I love about what's happening is as a Knick fan, I've already grown a really strong hatred of both the Spurs and the Thunder. So whoever makes it through, I already have a nice foundation of I fucking can't stand you guys that's just ready to boil over. Well, I think Brunson does it too.

[1:21:30] Thank you. [1:21:31] He's more on deep. Brunson does it on picks. [1:21:35] And defense really more than offense. SGA does it more than offense. Why are you making a face, guys? [1:21:41] I'm a bit confused. [1:21:43] I must have been confused. Confused with what? [1:21:46] I mean, I think that... [1:21:49] Brunson, [1:21:50] plays pretty physical. And I mean, the stuff on defense and coming off the screen, I'm sure we can find those examples. He's a flopper. He's a flopper. I watch all the games. Yeah, he tries to sell offensive foul picks. It's his big... [1:22:05] I have a prunson flopping theory. One of my theories is that he has those little braids, those little twists, because when he jerks his head back, it looks more violent because his hair flies. It's a visual tool. I like this. So would you sign up for the 15-point flop system? Just get a point? [1:22:21] anything that, you know, [1:22:23] communicates to the NBA viewing public us that the league is taking this seriously is going to be a good thing. I think it would be fine if they just called two flops every first quarter. You know, they had the opportunity during this playoff run, this stretch where it's really become prominent. And we know that the league has the capacity for changing how it calls games over the course of regular season into playoffs. [1:22:53] rotating referee crews. You could just call flops. Like I can't think of a game where a flop was called in. They don't call that. They don't call offensive three seconds when the guy has the ball for too long, when he's posting up, they call that like three times a year.

[1:23:08] Remember they added that rule? [1:23:10] you can't just slowly post up for 10 seconds. And they're like, you can't do it. It's got to be, [1:23:15] for shangun's like the only one that gets called for that i would love a flopping thing i think it's a good idea [1:23:21] Somewhere out there is a Chevy truck. And the person who drives it, well, that's a Chevy person. You probably know one. Your buddy. Your sister. Ones who always show up. They're the first to rise, the last to leave. They always have that little extra something. And maybe you've got it too. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Visit chevy.com slash trucks to explore the lineup. [1:23:50] This episode is brought to you by Fox One. Watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup live in 4K for just $19.99 a month with three days free. Build your own multi-view, choose up to three streams, and follow player spotlights. Stay on top of every moment with live stats, highlights, and instant replays. The FIFA World Cup, streaming live on Fox One, offers a subject to change. See fox.com for complete terms and conditions. [1:24:19] Chan from New York wants to know. [1:24:22] If Spurs Thunder is supposed to be the main event, [1:24:25] Would the Knicks be the money in the bank champs waiting in the wings to take advantage of a compromised opponent? This is great. Like a great wrestling analogy. [1:24:32] Just let these two teams beat each other up. [1:24:35] And the Knicks are waiting like the series ends and they're coming in right away. I always get this email about whether money in the bank would work in the NBA. And the answer is obviously no.

[1:24:44] But it would be amazing. [1:24:46] Like you finish a series and then all of a sudden the next team just comes in. Oh, they're cashing in. They're cashing the suitcase. All right, Haas, you're going to love this one. This is from Joe from far northern Chicago suburbs. [1:24:56] Okay. Conspiracy bill. He starts it. [1:25:00] Scott Foster's public-facing NBA referee profile page, [1:25:05] This is true because I looked it up. [1:25:07] Thank you. [1:25:08] lists Shameless and Ozark as his two favorite television shows. [1:25:13] I haven't watched Shameless, but Ozark is definitely about illegal money laundering schemes and organized crime. Wikipedia tells me Shameless is about people running scams and committing crimes to get money. [1:25:24] How is this possible that he put these two as his two favorite TV shows? [1:25:29] It's from Joe. [1:25:30] Well, he's living vicariously. That feels like a bit at that point. It could be. And I hope it's a bit. He should have added your friends and neighbors as his third one. I love that show, too. Another great one. [1:25:43] Jacobi's like afraid to talk. Oh, no, I love your friends and neighbors. I'm so in on your friends and neighbors. That Birch billionaire character, I'm absolutely in love with her. I can't wait for her to come back and ruin our guy's life. I'm in on friends and neighbors so hard. [1:25:56] On that same page, it says Scott Foster's favorite movie is Braveheart. [1:26:02] No one's favorite movie is Bray Hart. [1:26:04] Scott Foster's this no one he's lying Liam Manley writes in I sent this one to you guys Caruso's 22 point game 5 [1:26:14] has to be top three role player ever, or in Iguodala.

[1:26:18] So he points out, I created the 42 Club. [1:26:22] which was points, rebounds, and assists in the playoffs. And if they add up to 42 or above, odds are you're a pretty special player. And it's been... [1:26:29] pretty reliable over the years, especially because I did [redacted address] to leave out Karl Malone. [1:26:36] Um, [1:26:37] He's saying, could we have a 21 club? [1:26:40] If you average... [1:26:42] Over 21 points, rebounds, and assists multiple seasons, you're not a role player. And if you're under it, you are. [1:26:48] I, [1:26:48] I'm tweaking this to playoffs. [1:26:51] And I like the under 21. I wonder if we could go a little lower. I sent you guys a bunch of stats. [1:26:56] I have some role player questions for you, though. [1:27:01] Can you be one of the best four guys on your team and be a role player, Jacoby? [1:27:05] you [1:27:06] It, [1:27:07] I'd say you can't be one of the four most offensively productive. Best is a weird word to use because sometimes role players are the best because they're great defenders and great screen setters and, you know, assist guys. But... [1:27:22] I did consider this. [1:27:24] And I don't like the minutes restriction stuff because sometimes role players are like starters that play the entire time. You know what I mean? Bruce Bowen was in 05 to 07, 36 minutes a game, but was clearly a role player. [1:27:37] Yes, but he averaged like six and a half points. Yeah, six points, three rebounds, one assist. Yeah, yeah. Two eye gouges and one step on the foot. One kick in the balls, two hits in the face. One kick in the balls.

[1:27:48] Yes. [1:27:49] I also don't consider Iguodala a role player. He was a role player for that championship team. But if you're a former star and you used to have your own team, that's not a role player to me. That's sort of like a fading star accepting a new role. [1:28:03] So the other case for Iguodala not being a role player is he was the fourth best guy on that team. [1:28:08] Curry, Klay, Draymond, Iguodala is the fourth best guy at worst. [1:28:13] So can you be the role player if you're the fourth best guy on the team? That's a problem with the Caruso role player candidacy because you could argue he's one of the four best guys on this team. [1:28:22] Well, you can also argue that he's been forced to be one of the four best guys on the team due to injury. [1:28:25] Right. And then Michael Cooper was the other one who might have been the fourth best Laker during his whole run, but was a role player. [1:28:32] What do you think, House? The definitions part of this is where the true intrigue comes in to me. Because it's hard. Like, how many rings? If we're doing an all-time list, do you have to be on a team? I feel like you need two to be like the level one. Yeah. Because that's helpful. That means Trevor Ariza is off the list. That means Jason Terry is off the list. That means Kendrick Perkins is off the list. Bill Lawton. He only had the one. Yeah. And then it's like, is there a quality threshold? [1:29:02] in Egudala. [1:29:04] Like, [1:29:04] Men who... [1:29:06] Manu. No. [1:29:08] I would say Manu. [1:29:10] Both. Mine was too good. He can't be a role player. He's, I think, one of the best 100 basketball players of all time. Hall of Famer? But if you look at his numbers and how he was used, you can say, well, he's a six-man, he's a role player, but I just don't think he was. And then

[1:29:25] Do you need the two titles? So that [1:29:27] That moves us more. To me, the best way to figure this out is to look at guys that we know are role players. [1:29:33] which is clearly Robert Horry and the Lakers and the Spurs. [1:29:37] Interestingly, Rockets, Robert Horry, not a role player, but arguably the third best guy on that team. Sure. I like that. Mario Elias. [1:29:46] 22 minutes a game, seven points, three rebounds, and two assists in their two title seasons. That, to me, is a role play. [1:29:52] Caruso, I think, makes it. [1:29:54] It's basically 10 and 3. [1:29:57] the last couple of years playing or whatever, um, [1:30:01] Philly Bobby Jones is a good one. [1:30:04] James Posey in 06 and 08 is another good one. We lose Boris Diaw. [1:30:08] Steve Kerr? [1:30:10] 19 minutes a game, 6-1-2. [1:30:13] And then Fisher is a great one. 30 minutes a game, nine, two, and three. [1:30:17] And I guess we have to put Bruce Bowen in. [1:30:20] So would you say instead of the 42 club, maybe it's like the 17 club? [1:30:24] It's got to be like 17 and under for points, rebounds, and assists. [1:30:28] you're an official role player in that camp. [1:30:31] Right? What? Yeah. [1:30:33] Let me ask about Ron Harper. [1:30:36] Another good one. [1:30:38] Ended up with multiple rings. Both Ron Harper. [1:30:40] Yeah. And Lakers, Ron Harper. I mean, it's kind of important. [1:30:44] True. To both. He ended up with 153 [1:30:48] Playoff games, five rings, and he's just under 21. He's 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists. And was out there in the first time of a bunch.

[1:30:58] I've got one for you. Yeah. [1:31:00] Javel McGee. [1:31:02] How many titles though? Just one. [1:31:06] Oh, Lakers and Warriors. Nuggets. Oh, that's right. He had the Warriors one. Yeah. And he did kind of play for them. Yeah, he played a role. To me, a role player, you kind of do one thing. You know what I mean? Ron Harper might be too good at everything, kind of. Yeah, maybe so. That's why Caruso, it's like, I'm a defender, and if you leave me open, I'll hit a three, and I'll do some energy stuff in transition. I like a guy like McGee, because he's our big backup that comes in and blocks shots, and he's kind of weird, and he rebounds. [1:31:36] like Tristan Thompson on the Cavs. Like I have a role, like no one's going to ever give me the ball. Yeah. Yeah. Like that, that to me is like a role player. It's kind of like, you know, when you see it, he's a role. [1:31:47] Important spinoff question, this question. Jacob, when we played Pick Up Hoops together for two years at USC, I was a kid. [1:31:54] Was I a role player? [1:31:56] you [1:31:57] Yes. I was old. [1:31:58] Yes. Your impact was more just like a coach on the floor. Remember that guy in the Lakers you were talking about who hit the baseline shot? I had no idea who you were talking about. Selvey, Fred Selvey, whatever that guy's name is. Frank Selvey. I was like, I hope he doesn't ask me a question about Frank Selvey. I don't know who his name is. But 9 to 12 feet on the baseline is just Bill's spot. 18. That is his spot. [1:32:24] 17. 17.

[1:32:28] 17? 16? Yeah, yeah. What about breaking up the two on ones? You were great at that, but if I was the number one option, we were losing. Yeah, we were losing. I needed to be the number four option, which may be a role player. And then we're winning and we're staying on the court for a while. John Killeen [1:32:46] sent a Sam Perkins question on role players asking if Sam Perkins was the Jerry West of role players. [1:32:52] Mavericks, late 80s, Lakers, early 90s, Supersonics, [1:32:57] Pacers. [1:32:59] Sam Perkins was a role player. [1:33:01] on the 96 Sonics and OO Pacers that made finals. [1:33:05] He was kind of better than a role player in the 93 Sonics. And then the 91 Lakers, he was probably the third best player. But then also in Dallas... [1:33:13] He played in five conference finals for four different teams, [1:33:18] in three finals. Really interesting Sam Perkins career sent me on a deep dive. 167 playoff games for Sam. [1:33:25] 35th all time. [1:33:27] And kind of had all the faces of Sam and then finally crested with the Indiana... [1:33:32] It looked like he had just smoked a bowl. He weighed like 300 pounds, but could still hit a three. [1:33:37] at any time, but [1:33:38] Really fun run for him. Hadn't thought about Sam Perkins in a while, guys. [1:33:42] I feel the same way. And I always like, you know, my mind's eye is like, oh, he's talented. I expect him to make the right play. His hoops IQ was always in the right place. But maybe I'm only thinking about the end of his career. Maybe I'm just remembering. So one of the best game ones ever, which I mentioned to you,

[1:34:01] I think I mentioned to you the last time we did this was that Bulls Lakers game one. [1:34:05] MJ misses... [1:34:07] The game winner bounces around and goes out. But Perkins made the three. That was the game winning play they set up for. Magic found him. Sam Perkins, really good. All right. Really, really important question from Corey from St. George, Utah. [1:34:20] In your book of basketball, you debated a team of five of the same player versus any other duplicated five. [1:34:27] Would a team of five Victor Wembenyamas... [1:34:30] be the ultimate team that would beat any other version of five other guys. [1:34:35] Meaning could five Wembeys beat five LeBrons? Could five Wembeys beat five Iversons, et cetera, et cetera? [1:34:41] Jacobi's shaking his head. [1:34:42] Absolutely not. [1:34:44] I feel the same way. I think that's one of the superstars. He's probably one of the worst to clone four more times and put out there because he is so tall. [1:34:54] Like who's bringing up the ball? Wendy. [1:34:57] Wemby. Yeah, that's the problem. Wemby number five is bringing up the ball. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Chico, I actually think I completely disagree with you. I think five Wemby's kills everyone. [1:35:09] You play zone with the five women. How do you score? [1:35:14] What are you talking about? How am I getting a shot off against five Wembeys? [1:35:20] All they're doing is playing zone. How am I shooting anything? [1:35:23] All right. I have a counter. I'm five Michael Jordans. [1:35:26] I agree with this. That's the answer. [1:35:29] You guys would take five Michael Jordans over five Wembeys? Definitely. Bill, I'm going to allow you to retract this statement. I'm not retracting it. Wembeys 7%? Five Michael Jordans?

[1:35:40] What are you talking about? Against five Wembeys? [1:35:43] What are you even talking? Peak Michael Jordan? Michael Air Jeffrey Jordan? [1:35:48] We have to break this out as a social clip. I can't believe this. I can't believe this. [1:35:54] But the one Wemby couldn't post up in game five against Oklahoma City. Yeah, he gets tired in the second quarter. [1:36:02] So you're saying one of the five megajordans is pushing back. He's easily pushed the F out of the way. But then we'll just bring in another Wembe to get closer. [1:36:09] It's a feature He doesn't have enough ass They keep talking about it [1:36:14] five Jordans, you need somebody who's good at everything. Jack of all trades. Wemby's a very unique player because of his height. He needs guards and people to set him up. He doesn't, like, honestly, he doesn't even create his own shots. The best Wemby is rolling to the basket and then Steph Castle just blindly throws the ball up in the air and either tips it in or tips it off the rim to himself and dunks it. See, I think five LeBrons would have a better chance than five Jordans. Jordan was 6'6". It's a good argument. [1:36:44] in his clothes. Five Lembys versus five Lembys. Five LeBrons. [1:36:48] Five James Hardens would have some trouble. [1:36:51] I feel like. [1:36:53] Because that's the other thing. Five Currys. [1:36:56] could just like bomb threes and try to beat them with math. Right. There was like, we don't care how tall you are. I'm just going to shoot 30 footers. [1:37:05] I love it. [1:37:08] Matt from Toronto is exhausted by the term generational.

[1:37:13] It's supposed to be once in a generation. [1:37:15] Now he's hearing it's a generational draft, multiple generational prospects. [1:37:20] He said in his eyes, [1:37:21] Only two generational players are in the NBA right now. LeBron, whose generation is ending, and Wemby's, whose generation is starting. [1:37:28] He wants to retire the word generational for everyone else. Let's not use it anymore. [1:37:32] I would throw in Joker as a generational offensive player. [1:37:36] which I think he is. [1:37:37] So I would say we have three people that [1:37:39] the generational where it can get thrown around. [1:37:42] Other than that, I think he's right. I didn't even think I'm going to look in the mirror. It's like, how can you leave Curry out? [1:37:48] Oh, you're right. He's still in the league. I think he's Steph Curry. Steph Curry, generational shooter. So there's four. [1:37:55] Not Durant. [1:37:58] generational scorer. [1:38:00] He's going to go down as the most prolific scorer. He's a generational scorer forward. [1:38:05] Generational tweeter. And Durant's kind of the line for this. [1:38:09] Generational scoring forward, what does that even mean? [1:38:12] I don't like the term generational... [1:38:15] You don't. Because I just don't know when it starts or when it ends. It's kind of like when you go to a store and they have the sign on the door that says, like, be back in five minutes. I'm like, when did you when did the five minutes start? And when is it going to end? And how do you know when I'm going to see the sign? So it's like the generations were like bleed into each other is what I feel like. Like there's no defined beginning and end of the generation. So it's just like a sliding 20 years through time. [1:38:35] Would you say House is a generational leader? [1:38:39] Yes. [1:38:40] I agree with this. I would say all time. I think he is too, because any time over the course of my life when people who didn't know house ate with house...

[1:38:49] There's always that point in the [1:38:51] meal when they just become impressed that a house is still eating and that he's picking stuff off other plates and [1:38:56] It's been going on forever, I think, which makes it generational. [1:38:59] He doesn't draw a lot of attention to it either. He's not performative with his overeating. You know what I mean? He's not talking about it. It's just sort of just slowly like, oh, hey, no, like the guy will come by and be like, oh, you're done with the egg rolls? Oh, no, no, no, no, I'll take that up. [1:39:12] Do you think I'm a generational playing blackjack at 430 in the morning guy or no? [1:39:17] No. Okay. [1:39:19] House, this question's for you from Cody K. [1:39:22] He's a longtime Wizards fan. [1:39:24] Oh, great job, Cody. He's lived through the draft picks of people like Jan Vesely. [1:39:29] I'm familiar. He's lived through overpaying Otto Porter. [1:39:32] Did that live through playing and coaching of Randy Whitman. [1:39:36] That happened. Losing on purpose? Sure. He's excited about the draft. And he's seen recent rumors of the Wizards getting in on the Greek Freak [1:39:45] sweepstakes. [1:39:47] Am I losing my mind thinking a lineup of Trey, [1:39:50] Trey Johnson. [1:39:52] Bilal, [1:39:53] AD and the freak. [1:39:55] could work. He didn't even mention your number one pick in the draft. [1:39:59] Plus we have dullest to grease flights. He wants to point out to how this is true. You still haven't talked yourself into this. [1:40:06] It's outrageous. It's preposterous. I understand the season that we're in now with the NBA where we have to, you know, go into this drama queen mode because there isn't anything to talk about from the games. But there is no scenario under which it makes a lick of sense for Giannis to come to Washington. None whatsoever. Jacoby, where do you want Giannis to go?

[1:40:27] Yes. [1:40:29] What's your team? What's the most fun for content? Giannis team. Expendables is off the table. [1:40:34] Yeah. Most fun for content is going to be the Nets. [1:40:37] just like a terrible Nets team and they win like 30 games. He's just pissed, but he's in New York and there's like rumors about him being out in clubs and stuff. It's just like, and he's just getting hammered. He's just like, God, I was actually better off in Milwaukee than I am here in Brooklyn. That would be for content would be the funniest because of the spotlight, the New York market puts on you. And like, you think it's bad with your roster in Milwaukee. Like, [1:40:59] Welcome to Clowney and Jomin. [1:41:03] I think Miami would be the most fun. [1:41:06] - Heat culture versus you also have to sign my two brothers if I'm coming. [1:41:11] We do that whole thing. That could be fun. [1:41:14] Jason from New Jersey has a Greek freak thing. [1:41:17] He says with Wemby doing what he's doing, do we have to rescind Giannis' nickname Greek Freak? [1:41:23] or the freak. [1:41:24] Next to Wemby, he doesn't seem to be freakish. [1:41:27] Not saying we need to call Wemby the French freak. [1:41:31] But I don't think we can have other players called Freak. [1:41:34] if Wemby's in the league. I disagree. I'm fine with... Giannis is the freak. We've called him the freak. Wemby's the alien or the UFO. Yeah, he's alien. He's not a freak. He's more than a freak. Yeah, because he hasn't earned anything yet. Giannis earned the freak. He didn't just arrive when we looked at him and started calling him the freak just because of how he looked. It's because of how he played, his force of will, his dominant style. That's what really... He filled out the freak. Yeah.

[1:41:59] Right now, it is fine to call Wemby an alien or, you know, from a different whatever, because that's all that we can ascribe to him. There's nothing. It's a great run. I'm thrilled for the Spurs. And let's see how this plays out before we start giving him any nicknames other than recognizing that he's a giant person. [1:42:17] Would five Giannis's beat five Wemby's? [1:42:20] Yes. Phenomenal. I agree with Jacob's. [1:42:23] strong. I don't think five Wemby's is a strong team. I really don't think five Wemby's is a strong team. I could beat five Wemby's. I love this. I can't wait to see what people think of this. I can't believe you're going to get this out of the social cliff. I want Freak to get to a Western Conference team and dunk on Wemby, you know, repeatedly. I think there's a real, you know, he's mad he took his corner. [1:42:47] Yeah, exactly right. Not, not the free corner, but you know, who's the biggest, baddest big guy. [1:42:54] It's like what's happening in Euphoria right now is Zendaya and Sidney Sweeney. [1:42:58] no well I haven't watched one episode but I already know which way I'm leaning on this one well one of them has been naked the whole season so I don't know how you missed it and I know which one that is so there you go Marcus is a huge Suns fan [1:43:15] And he's still having trouble, especially with the recent Jalen Brunson thing. [1:43:20] Um, [1:43:21] digesting the Suns 2018 draft. [1:43:24] And he said when they took DeAndre Ayton over Luka Doncic, it was so monumental. It overshadowed everything else that happened that night.

[1:43:32] The sunset three of the first 31 picks. [1:43:36] They took with the first pick DeAndre Ayton over Luka Doncic. [1:43:39] With the 10th pick, they took Mikael Bridges over Shea Gilgis-Alexander. [1:43:44] And with the 31st pick, they took Elia Kobo over Jalen Brunson. [1:43:48] Thank you. [1:43:50] I did not realize this. [1:43:52] Eliakobo. [1:43:53] Ilya Kobo. [1:43:55] Not familiar with him. [1:43:56] So they passed up Luka Doncic, SGA, and Brunson all in a row. [1:44:02] and they all got taken either the next pick or two picks later. [1:44:06] Pretty interesting. How's that? I'm trying to think who the GM was for that. [1:44:11] That's the kind of stuff the Sixers have been doing for a decade now, which I really enjoyed. [1:44:16] Kevin from Malden, um, [1:44:18] Diehard Celtic fan, along with all his buddies. [1:44:21] and said, if it's a Knicks Thunder series, who do we root for? [1:44:26] We're very split. [1:44:27] Um, [1:44:29] None of us like New York teams. None of us want to root for the Knicks. [1:44:32] That's how fucking annoying the Thunder are to watch, Kevin from Malden Reds. [1:44:36] You have a bunch of Boston guys rolling with the Knicks over the flappers. Jesus Christ, I hope Wemby and the Spurs pull it off. [1:44:43] Wow. [1:44:44] I kind of feel the same way. I probably, the basketball fan in me would probably root for the next storyline, even though it's a New York team and New York will be insufferable for years after. [1:44:55] You can hate the Knicks, but it's hard to hate these Knicks. [1:44:58] It really is. [1:44:59] Even if you're from Boston. Like, I get it. You hate the uniform, but, like, the players and the vibes, like –

[1:45:05] And they're going to be underdogs to the floppers. I think you have to go next, even if you're in Boston. [1:45:10] What do you think guys? [1:45:11] It's a great, great point. I agree on this. Yeah. Okay. Um, [1:45:16] This is a good one. [1:45:19] Maybe we end on this. [1:45:21] Speaking of flopping from Liam from Minneapolis, he recently watched the 1997 movie Double Team. [1:45:28] Starring Dennis Rodman and Jean-Claude Van Damme. [1:45:32] and was thinking what current NBA player action star duo should we get to remake this and was wondering if it should be. [1:45:38] Anthony Edwards and Jason Statham. [1:45:42] God. [1:45:43] Um, [1:45:44] I had an idea. [1:45:45] They remake Double Team [1:45:48] as double flop, [1:45:49] Bye. [1:45:50] SGA and Statham [1:45:53] That's phenomenal. I made this on CGI. You did that. Yeah. Yeah, look at you. I put in, make a double flop movie poster for me and they did it. [1:46:03] double flop it can't be a statham is is is too legit you need a a worse action hero you need somebody if sg was an action movie person his move would be he's in fight scenes and he would be flopping and the people would be just completely confused disarmed he would dive into them with like an elbow thing and go flying and they'd be like what the fuck did that and then statham would just come in and punch him in the face [1:46:27] That would be the move. [1:46:29] Thank you. [1:46:30] I was so scared to Google double team movie Dennis Rodman.

[1:46:36] I'm sure there were some double teams filmed during this film. You guys got two guys together. Yeah, I felt like we should just be careful. I felt like treading carefully here was the right move. You guys got really scared there for a second. I mean, the action hero bit. That's all I have for you now. Statham might be too big. [1:46:54] you [1:46:55] So the biggest thing we argued about was five Wembeys versus five Michael Jordans. [1:46:59] One of your worst takes. One of your worst takes, honestly. I'll be interested to see what America thinks. I have a zone defense of five, seven foot six guys. [1:47:09] it. [1:47:09] It's Michael Jordan versus a 22-year-old French guy. [1:47:14] who shot four for [redacted address] against. He took one shot. [1:47:22] Isaiah Hardenstein. Listen, [1:47:24] If I was actually picking this in my life, depending on it, I'm picking five Michael Jordans against everybody. I just have the most confidence. I'm picking five Isaiah Hartensteins over five Wimbys. Yes, five Isaiah Hartensteins over five Wimbys. That's a good matchup. [1:47:37] Uh, before we go house, who do you want with the number one pick? [1:47:41] AJ hasn't changed. It's AJ. AJ all day. I love that guy. The whole long story that the Utah feature writer did about what's the deal with Darren Peterson's cramping situation. [1:47:52] Should you read that? [1:47:53] Did not. Don't care. [1:47:55] You should read it because it will make you maybe not want to take him as much and move maybe more toward AJ. [1:48:02] I already who I already said, AJ. [1:48:05] I want AJ. You know, he reclassified it as an eighth grader. He did eighth grade twice. He's a little older than you'd think. AJ. Don't care.

[1:48:15] I watched him play basketball. He's fucking awesome. He is really good. I hope you take AJ. [1:48:20] Me too. Who do you want them to take Jacob's? [1:48:23] AJ. [1:48:24] Or Caleb. I'm staying away from Peterson. If I'm like the number four pick, which is at the Jazz. It's the Bulls. Oh, the Bulls. Yeah. I'd be terrified if Peterson drops me. I kind of, your hands are tied. You have to take him. Wow. I'd be terrified to drop Peterson. I really would. I'd be terrified. I watched some of those games. It was just like weird. He'd have 22 in the first half and just be like, yeah, I'm out. [1:48:43] I'm done. He's one of the all-time terrified to take him, terrified not to take him guys that we've had in the draft. [1:48:50] Either way, you're just scared for the result. [1:48:55] You should get Dominic from Dubuque to ask that question in the next mailbag. [1:48:59] Dominic from Dubuque. Who's that? I don't know. I just came up with that. [1:49:04] Feels like a guy that might have a question about the all-time list for guys. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Hopefully, Dominic, if there's a Dominic in Dubuque, hopefully he'll run in. All right, guys. It was great to see both of you. [1:49:18] Jacob's will watch and listen to you on the mismatch. And food news. [1:49:23] Julia Lippman. House, Fairway Roll and US Open coming up. [1:49:26] Yeah, we got the memorial. We're in Jack's place next week. That's going to be exciting. [1:49:31] Ringer Gamma Show as well. Are you going to bet on World Cup or no? [1:49:35] uh yeah i've already bet on norway over iran that was one i'm just doing whatever anthony dibundo tells me to do so i'll be betting i'm almost definitely betting against the u.s when they play a good team um but i'm just listening to the bundo definitely betting on the world cup the bundo i think might have had an aneurysm today because sinner lost in the french open it was like a minus 12 000 favorite or something and he got he's driving and losing no right french open is

[1:50:05] Anyway. All right, guys. Good to see you. [1:50:09] All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Jacobian House. Thanks to Mahoney. Thanks to Gahau and Eduardo as well. Don't forget to watch 2001, A Space Odyssey. [1:50:18] um before the end of the weekend because that's gonna be the next rewatchables enjoy the weekend i will see you next time here on the bill simmons podcast [1:50:27] Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in D.C., Kentucky or Wyoming. If you have a problem, call 1-800-GAMBLE or 1-800-MY-RESET. Call [redacted government id] or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut or mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelpline ma.org or call [redacted phone] for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 877-8-HOPE. [1:50:57] or text HOPENY in New York for Louisiana. Call [redacted phone].