 Run it up, do run it back, yeah. Run it up, do run it back, run it back, run it up, run it back, yeah. Good morning, it is Tuesday, it is December 12th. I just looked that up, that's why I knew it. This is Run It Back. Stadium Insider, Shom Sharanya. Do you like when I do that? Does it make you feel like on display? Yeah, something, it makes me feel something. I'm not sure what it makes me feel. Well done, here we go. Let's go. I like the same effort. I mean, oh I'm sorry. Chandler Parsons. Thank you. I feel the same when I do it that way. Lou Will doesn't need that because he's an NBA legend. That's what they call me. We had a lot of sports happened overnight. And because we love all of you, we watched every second so we could bring this to you. Pelicans, got that bad taste out of their mouth from the end season tournament. Snapping the T-Wolf, six game win streak, 121-107, Zion, season high, 36 points. He was 13-17, Cat was 17, he had two though in the second half. Zion sort of falls in that AD camp of we see greatness and then we ask why can't we see it every single night? So now I want you to answer that question. Yeah, when we see it with a lot of guys, honestly we see it on the other team too with Karl-Anthony Talens. You have that much talent, there's expectations, right? And with Zion, we all know how good he is, how explosive he can be, all the rumors about his conditioning and that's just tough. I hate the Stephen A take on his weight. Who? I hate that take but it is, it makes you wonder, right? Like if he would just kind of slim down a little bit, would it prolong his career? Would it allow him to play more minutes? Would it allow him to play in more games? And so we see what he is right now and it's just hard to not imagine him consistently in shape. Look at LeBron James, how can LeBron James at 39 years old be in the shape he's in? And Zion not. So I understand where it's coming from and it's frustrating and it seems like it's all self-inflicted unless there's an unknown health issue that we don't know. It's causing him to keep weight on for whatever reason but look, he's having a great year and I love that he clapped back. He had a tough showing against the Lakers in the end season tournament. This was a huge game for him. Yeah, that was a horrible performance against the Lakers and he does, he gets a lot, for some reason we're allowed to fat shame Zion. I don't know when that happened and I don't even like using that phrase. That being said, it is weird, right? Because you can have a chef, you can have personal this, that another white. We don't understand, Lou, how great he could be. I mean, what's the problem? He's 23, five and a half, five assists a game and he's finally on the court. You know what I mean? Why is everyone freaking out? I think it was a narrative that began from the beginning of his career. So I think it's something easy to poke on when things don't go his way. He has bad games or he has these stretches where he's not living up to expectations. I think it's just an easy thing for people to poke at. It's his size and it can be both. We can't criticize this kid for his weight and how big he is and then credit him when he does these big plays where he's snatching the ball from guys and knocking them on the ground and laying the ball back up. It's like, you know, that's part of his makeup. I don't care what kind of diet this kid goes on. He's gonna be a naturally big dude. And again, he's playing his ass off. Give the kids some credit. At least he's on the floor. He's playing at a high level. Everybody in the NBA are gonna have bad games, gonna have bad nights, gonna have bad stretches. He's no different and so right now, at least he's almost shooting 60% from the field. And his team is successful. What is the problem? And I can argue the other way with it that this physical, the way he plays, the way he's built, that is what gives him the edge, right? Right, the power. My boy the other day said he's probably the best basketball player of all time that can't shoot, dribble, or pass. And think about that. He really isn't. He really isn't. And if he was 30 pounds lighter, it wouldn't work, right? But I don't think his body type is going to be very powerful. That's what I mean, his physicality to me almost is a good thing. Like it allows him, when he was in Duke, people were saying, oh, is he gonna be able to play this physical against men? He's playing in the ACC or whatever. Yes, he can, he's still stronger and bigger than anybody on the court every single night. So take it with a grain of salt, because his physicality is his number one strength. He's obviously not in the best shape, right? I think we can all say that without shaming him or saying anything. But I disagree. He was never gonna be small. But I disagree. This thing says what? When you see him. If I'm averaging 23, five and five. I agree, the production speaks for itself. I don't know a lot of guys that's not in shape. I don't see his hands on his knees either. I just think. When he came in the league, the shape that he was in. When you look, when you look when he came in the league. Shoms, none of us looked like that from four years ago. But none of us looked like that. But he's dealt with a lot of lower body injuries. And every time he deals with lower body injuries, the team sees that he gets out of shape. He, like it's just how his body is. But then he always finds a way back and he's so competitive. I think it's a plus he wants to play. Like it doesn't matter how he's feeling, what his body's like. Like he wants to be out there. I think we saw his competitiveness last night. The fact that people were criticizing him. And the way that he looked against the Lakers, I will say this, he didn't approach that game the right way to me. Like when you watch. What did he do last night? His lack of aggressive. He was aggressive. How many points did he have last night? 36. 36. Why are we talking about the Lakers still? So that's what I'm saying. I agree. I hate that when players have these narratives stuck on them and we can't get over it. You know, for the sake of having something to talk about. And this is not for you Shoms, but this kid is, he's been battling injuries, right? 36 points last night. Big time win. It's like, why are we having anything negative to say about this kid? Because somebody else wants to put a narrative that this kid is fat out there. I think that the situation is that obviously the Pelicans in New Orleans, they know something we don't. Whether it's him not following the nutrition program, him being late to the weight room or whatever. He doesn't even look fat. I'm just saying that, that then to me is why they have a problem. During the course of your career, did you ever follow the nutritionist that the team provided for us? He's eating Chick-fil-A on the way home. All of us are out of shape. He has a different metabolism. That may be the problem. And his shack was huge. Jack, Charles, look at these dudes. They weren't big bodies. Right, he's not gonna be thin. That's not his body. I don't want him to be thin. He won't be as good as basketball if he were to be thin. Chandler makes a great point. I've never seen this kid huffing and puffing, running down the court. He's a big guy. I was about to say huge, and that was gonna ruin my whole point. But he is a big, he's a naturally big guy, Shoms. I just want us to celebrate him a little bit more. He's only 23 also. Yeah, he's gone through so much in his career and he's now in a stretch where he's hooping. I want this to go away. You know what, let's just wish it away. Yeah. All right, consider it done. Or just ignore the bad narratives that are made up anyways. That's probably the best thing to do. On the other side of things, Cat. That's the other guy that we're always looking to. Which version of Cat are we gonna get? Anthony Edwards, of course, is out. So the version we got at Cat was not the one you need. Two points on 0-6 shooting in the second half. There was not that long ago when he was 27-11, dude. Three time all-star. Explain to me, Cat. So my issue with him is the Anthony Davis effect where he disappears, right, he floats. You don't know which version of him you're gonna get. And still, even Carl and the Towns, look at his numbers, seven, 22 and nine. He's shooting, I think 43% from the three, 50 from the field. So he is still, listen, Carl and the Towns is an elite offensive player. He has the capability of being a good defender. It's just, I think, him is more personality, right? It's more personal trait, it's more people, people don't like him. People don't like him, and Rudy Gobert, no matter, whatever that is. But he still has the chance to, you know, this team goes as far as Anthony Edwards goes in my mind. And last night, they didn't have Anthony Edwards, so just throw this game out because it doesn't count in my eyes for their future and their season. But look, same thing with them. They're having a great year. What are they now? They're 17 and they're five. And he's a huge part of it. As much as they need Anthony Edwards, they need Carl Anthony Towns to be dominant as well. And I'll take 22 or nine every single night. It's just he's given us a taste of that he can do more than that, right? And we want to be consistent. We want it every single night because their team is deep, but it really, the only two go-to guys they have, there's no Austin Reeves, there's no, you know what I mean? There's no other guy that can go really and go get 25, 30. So this guy has to be every single night. If I'm the Timberwolves, listen, the grass ain't green on the other side. It's only a handful of guys that's averaging 21 and 10 in this league. And 95% of them aren't going to be available for trades. And they're not going to come to Minnesota in free agency. And so- What's wrong, Minnesota? Why not? It gets cold in Minnesota. It is very cold. The theme of the show. It gets cold in Minnesota. Obviously. Listen, I keep these guys together and let them continue to build. If you're looking for another second piece for Anthony Edwards, he's already there. It's weird, because I, you know, even though the T-wolves have the record they have, I almost don't trust them regardless. Like for the long run. Maybe now. I respect it. Yeah. Well, thank you. Hadn't done anything yet. Thank you, buddy. And I feel better. Nugget's Hawks. Nugget Nuggets at a three game losing skit. It's over now. Jamal Murray, season high, 29, 12, 15. Bogdan Bogdanovich, career high, 40 points. He was 10, 17. From the three, Jamal Murray had the 29. We get used to that after a while, right? But maybe not consistently in the regular season. All-star status for Jamal Murray. Where do you think that will be? Well, I think after his finals run last year, I think this was poised for this season for him to take the next step. And when you look, he's only played 11 games. Right. That's been the big thing for him is when he's in the lineup and he's playing consistent high minutes, he's so valuable. He's unbelievable. You see kind of the point guards in the East with Tyrese Halbert and Tyrese Maxey. These guys have kind of stepped up. Same thing in the West with Foxy. So that's a deep position. So you start talking about all-star and it might be tough this year just because the limited amount of games he's played. But you can see the Nugget's success. We all know how good Yolkic is. The Nugget's success is dependent on him. He's got the Chris Middleton effect like Milwaukee. He's got to be healthy. He's got to be the head of the snake. He's got to play this two-man game with Yolkic. And we see how good they can be. They're defending champs with him healthy. So 11 games. You're probably not going to make all-star playing that few of games. It's just injuries with Jamal Murray. I mean, when he's on the floor, we know what he's capable of. And the crazy part about Jamal Murray is when it's regular season time, it's like 16 points a game, 17 points a game. He always turns it up when it matters the most come playoff time. So I'm not concerned about Jamal Murray. I just think for the Nuggets, they just got to flow and they got to have home court and have him healthy for the playoff. And you see games with Yolkic, Jamal Murray out. Then Reggie Jackson is all of a sudden unbelievable. De'Andre Jordan had a huge game. So they have the infrastructure. They have the roster of these experienced guys that have been there before that they're going to win games with or without them. But to be a true contender, to go back to back, Jamal Murray's got to be healthy. I believe as defending champs are the best until they're not. So I know they had the three game losing streak. It happens. But you said something. Shyam said they just need to float to get to the postseason. Do you agree with that strategy? Yeah, I agree with that. I would say fine tuning. You know, they obviously they know what it takes to get there and they know what it takes to bring it home. So I don't think this team is concerned about where they are in the regular season. I think they know what they're capable of. They know what star power they have. They know what they're going to get out of their bench play and their role players. And so even though they're dealing with some injuries and a little bit of turbulence, I think this team is still fine tuning. And then once it gets to a point where it gets real at the end of the season, they lock in. Then they can turn it on. Trey Young was ejected, got a second technical missing, arguing a missed call on a play. So here it is. Y'all tell me who's right here. Ref or Trey? I mean, look, he did the James Harden thing where he initiated the contact, right? He kind of grabbed his arm. And it could go either way here. But I don't know if it's who. And then again, I didn't watch this. So I don't know if it was a lead up, if there was missed calls before or what. But again, this is Trey, you can't do this. Your team is dependent on you. You have to be on the floor, you know, 26 minutes is not enough. So for your team to have any chance, especially beating the Nuggets, you got to have your best player on the floor. And he wasn't available just because of an emotional breakdown. But he can't afford to be doing this. It seemed like a very calm technical, though, as far as those go. I want to challenge my little brother to turn the page with the ref wars. You know, this is part of his reputation now. And I hate that because he's one of the best players in the NBA. And sometimes when your team is not having a lot of success, this becomes the only thing that people like to talk about. And it stains your name and it stains your reputation. And not only that, it gets exhausting playing eight against five every night. And I've shared the locker room with Trey. I know how passionate he is about basketball. I know how passionate he is about winning. And his reputation gets misunderstood because of things like this. And so I want him to be the bigger man, turn the page on these type of interactions, man. And just go lead your team to a bunch of wins. And no one Trey too. We're not talking about him as much, right? Those point cards I just mentioned, you know, Darius Garland was the All-Star last year. And they used to like, I feel like Trey Young, when he came in, everyone was talking about him. And now that's kind of calmed down a little bit. It's frustrating, their team's not winning. They make the move for Giante Murray. That hasn't really panned out. So it's frustrating. And like Lou said, he's not a bad dude. So I hope he can figure it out and eliminate the refs. They're not going to change the call, right? I've never seen a ref be like, oh, you know what? Okay, Trey, let's, let's, you know. It'd be amazing if that happens. My bad. It's not going to happen. So don't let it affect your mental. It'll not affect your game. All right, fair enough. Got a little advice corner we just had. Impromptu, I like that. Cavs Magic. Don't look now, but Orlando. What is happening? Maybe Cleveland, Paulo Bencaro had 20 and 10. Franz Wagner, 19 and eight. And Darius Garland, he did have 36, six and five in the losing effort here, but Magic are 16 and seven, Lou. They are second in the East right now. I put them in that Timberwolves sort of umbrella where it's like, do we take them seriously though as contenders? Not yet. Not yet. In order for them to be contenders for me, this is going to be a long play game. You know, they have to make a splash in the playoffs. They got to make sure the league understands that they have arrived and they're here and them being second in the East is a real thing. And so, you know, any team can have some success, 20 games in. Right. And then you start dealing with some adversity, start dealing with some injuries, and then that's when you begin to see what your team is really made of. And so for me, for this team, to make sure everybody takes them serious as a contender, they got to make a real splash in the playoffs. Who's on the show tomorrow, Chandler? We got Jamal Mose on the show tomorrow. I love that. Coach of the year, Jamal Mose. Tees right there, right? I love it. Very professional. Last week, Lou and Danny Green were here. They said they're not yet ready to consider Paulo Bankero as the dude you build around. What do you think about that? I said that? Yeah, you've really good. I disagree. I was in a moment. I disagree. I mean, look, you look at what he did last year. Now he's at, he's averaging 21, 7, and 5 in his second year of the NBA, leading this team who was historically bad the last two or three years, literally until the day they drafted him. And they struggled last year, but this kid can do it all. He's versatile. And you look at the team, the reason we don't trust them, Michelle, is because they don't have that bona fide star. They don't have that all-star. So are you agreeing? No, because I do think Paulo is so young and his future is so bright. And then you throw in a Franz Wagner, but Wagner? Wagner. I love him too. So when you have two unselfish leaders like that that are all growing together and they seem like they don't really care who gets the credit, it's like, it's a young team, it's fun, and they defend, man. And Cole Anthony off the bench has been a spark plug, and this is without Wendell Carter, this without Markel Fultz in the lineup consistently. So this team is deep. They add guys like Joe Ingalls, who that does wonders for that locker room and the leadership. So I think Paulo is a great foundation piece for the future. He's versatile, he can defend. He got the USA experience this summer. So I disagree. I think he's great. I think, Orlana, what Jamal Mosey has done to that team and that city. I'm from there. Place isn't awesome. And I haven't felt this buzz or heard this buzz since the Dwight Howard that time. So listen, are they gonna go to the Eastern Conference Finals this year? No, they're gonna contend. That's a big statement. I'm telling you, the team. Because it was jumping during those days. So I'm jumping, I'm telling you, people are back. Look at the crowds. When you watch our Land of Magic game, it is a different atmosphere in that arena now. Now, you pay attention. Yeah. Are they gonna go to the finals this year? I don't know, like Lou said, it's a long play with this team. They're still so young. I'm not gonna put all my trust in them this season, but they're building something great. I'll tell you that. Yeah, you can't knock what they're doing so far. Darius Garland had 36. Injuries has sort of been the thing that's plagued him so far. He has made an all-star team, but as far as ceiling goes with him, Lou, where are we putting that? When healthy, I think he's a perennial all-star. I think this is something that he can do every year. Playing at a high level, he's been one of the leaders of this basketball team and keeping them afloat. But Cleveland, very much like Orlando, they gotta make a splash. They gotta make a splash in the playoffs for people to take these things serious. I don't want this to become a thing where they're playing hard up until all-star to get all-star looks. And then after that, they kind of flame out. And I think we saw that last year when they had guys being considered for all-star and then after that kind of fizzled out going into the season. And so what's his ceiling? I think he can be a perennial all-star. This is something that he can do every year, but he gotta get this group over the hump and he gotta stay healthy. Cavs are 13 and 10, seventh in the East. I know that we're on sort of Donna and Mitchell watch. And we have been since he got there, basically. Like, ooh, where's he gonna go next? What's gonna happen? Should we be concerned? Should they be concerned? Well, there's real pressure overall and throughout this organization. And with Donna and Mitchell, his expectations for this team is trying to compete for a championship. Even though JB Bickerstaff last year led this team to their first playoff berth, since, like without LeBron James, first playoff berth since the late 90s. So to them, they're making progress every single year. And even now, they won nine of their last 13. They haven't had a full roster all year, like consistently health-wise throughout the whole season. Now they have a back-to-back against Boston tonight and then again on Thursday. So their schedule is tough. So I think this is a team that's still trying to find itself, but there is a lot of pressure throughout this organization. And it's to compete and it's to win. And a lot of that has to do, obviously, with the future of Donna and Mitchell. And the problem is when you decline the Sunday extension like that, that basically, that tells you everything, right? Like, he's not sure about the future here. And you could even tell. He's just got a different feel. He's got a different buzz. It doesn't seem like he's as happy as he was last year here, which is weird to me because like Lou said earlier, the grass ain't always greener on the other side. And when you look at this Cavs team with Evan Mobley, Darius Garling, they have all this young talent, Jared Allen, they have these foundational pieces that they could really grow together. And I think that loss to Nick's last year in the first round was devastating. And I'm actually kind of concerned and confused about their start this year. I thought they were gonna use that as fuel, go into the off-season, take this huge jump and be one of these teams we're talking about. And for whatever reason, they're not. And it does start with Donna and Mitchell, but my guess is he's out of there. I think he's out of there. And so it begins. Keep our eye on it. All right, Scoop's time, Shom's Scoop. You know, sometimes you have Scoop, Shoms during the day where I want to text you and be like, I don't like this one. And this first one with Mitchell Robinson, I did not care for this one. Yeah, Nick's. Yeah, that was bummed. This is the tough one because Mitchell Robinson had, I think, a great season, six points a game, 10 plus rebounds a game. He averaged almost two blocks a game. I think for the Knicks, what's tough here is left ankle surgery. He's had a lot of ankle problems. He's had a lot of knee problems. He's out the next eight to 10 weeks at least. And you never, ankle's not a good spot for a surgery. He's a big dude. How come he doesn't get a bunch of crap? He's tall, not wise. Well, there was the science behind it. That's why, that's why, that's why. You know what, that was on me for asking. By the way, it's like Tyree Kill last night walks to the game, walks to the game. I can't sit next to him. Honestly, we are separating you. Tyree Kill walks to the game, holding McDonald's before the game. And then he gets hurt, like it's funny to tell something like that happens, then all the media's gonna jump on him. It's bad optics. It's like, stop. I know, it's just eat salad. It's bad optics. Okay, I can't believe it. We're officially, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with John Morant. It's coming. He's gonna be back. He's gonna be barring any issues. John Morant will make his season debut December 19th next week in New Orleans and he's been ramping up. I'm told he looks great. He's been playing three on three, playing four on four the last few weeks. He's been ramping up. He's ready to go. And another thing, Marcus Smart has been out with a foot sprain. I'm told he's gonna be back shortly after John Morant. So you're starting to see this Memphis team. Gotta have to, not a great start this year. We all know about it. Yeah, fair. We know how many injuries they've dealt with but now John Morant's on his way back gonna make his debut next week. Marcus Smart shortly after we'll return. There's six games out of the seven to 10 seed. Is there any way they can get there? No, you know what? I'm really fascinated that Shoms has all this information. It really fascinates me because as a player, Chandler, you know we go into the locker room and we're looking at the board and we have no clue who's playing. Right. But he knows a week before? He knows it a week before. It's so fascinating that you're able to get that information. I'm starting to think it's because you two don't pay attention personally. Yeah, I could leave it. I think it's on you guys. I'll tell you this one. No, it's literally Shoms scoops. Yeah, we don't have our own segment. We got the school. Keep acting like this. You're never gonna have that, Chandler. Gabe Vincent, a lot of street clothes and when will that stop? He's only played four games so far this year. He's been dealing with swelling in his knee. Last played on October 30th. I'm told he is targeting a return next Monday on the 18th against the New York Knicks. Damn it, you're a good show. That's also the night they're gonna raise the in-season tournament championship banner. Oh, big night. The big men are little banners. It's a full-time, what do you call it? It's like an eternal banner? No, a forever banner. Forever banner. Like a flyer they're gonna put on the window. So let's say they went again next year, they're just gonna put the year. That's it. Yeah, they just add another banner. But if you never have another one, it's just then the one year. It's gonna be 2023, yeah, it's gonna be that. But I think the Lakers really are looking forward to this return. He's supposed to play a big role on this team. I mean, this is a guy that was supposed to go in and compete potentially to start with D'Angelo Russell, but now he's gonna come off the bench. And I'm high on this situation because you think about the trade deadline, right? You think about D'Angelo Russell's future. You think about Gabe Vincent there. A lot of it has to do with how he comes back and how he plays. I'm just picturing like Washington winning it next year and putting a Florida ceiling banner. Hey, you know what? It's perspective. It's gonna be different for every team. It's 100% gonna be different. It should be. Some teams are just better. PJ Tucker not pleased with the situation right now. PJ Tucker has been expressing frustration about his situation, his role with the Clippers from what I'm told. Both sides, the Clippers, Tucker, they're discussing how to resolve the situation, whether it's a bigger role with the Clippers or elsewhere. And there's multiple contenders monitoring him. We know about PJ Tucker the last 12 years, literally 12 years straight. He's been playing big minutes. He's been a big level contributor, 2021 NBA champion. He's a guy that's used to playing. He's not used to getting DNP. He's been DNP coach's decision for six straight games watching his remain professional. But he's hopeful for a resolution here. Lou said earlier, where'd you want to see him go? Put him on Orlando. Put him on Orlando. Mo, get him on Orlando. That's exactly the type of guy that they need on that team for the playoffs for this stretch. I would love to see him on the Magic. Well, tomorrow you can plead for your case. Yeah, obviously, write it down. And I'm always a big fan of like our OGs going out on their own two feet on their own. I don't like this for PJ Tucker being at the, you know, possibly. Well, this is the end of his career. He's 38 years old, knows how much basketball is left. But I would like to see him go out on his own two. December 15th, I mean, God, it's right around the corner. Most free agents have become trade eligible. And that means we immediately look north to Canada. What can we expect? Michelle, we've been talking, I think we've been talking about Toronto for the last two years. 9 and 14, off to another slow start. I think it's fueled, definitely teams are on the league with the belief that more than ever now, one of Pascal Siakam, Oroj, and OG Ananubi could be traded. Some of the same teams are really going after both of them. Atlanta, Indiana, Sacramento. And my sense is it's likely that Siakam has moved over OG Ananubi. But we'll see. The way Toronto operates, they're going to take this up right to the deadline in February. And I think you lose Fred Van Blee for nothing last season in free agency. I think everyone around the league is very curious about Messiah's Dream. And this is the date with the Lakers, right? Where D Lo and Rui, those guys, can be moved? D Lo's are also going to be moved December 15th. Rui Hachamura can be moved January 15th. I don't think Lakers are suitors for either of those two. But I think overall, for sure, the market opens up December 15th across the league. And I think everyone's looking at Toronto. We've been talking about Toronto. Toronto and Chicago, just do it already. Every year. For God's sakes. It's like a fire still, but that never happens. This is the year. I can feel it. All right, we're going to take a quick break right now when we come back. He returns, friend of the show. Mack McClung, standing by. You too, baby. Run it back, run it off. Run it back, run it off, run it back. Mack McClung feeds the drum culture. I'm too flat. Gets upstairs. Get on my left. Oh, he is back. Of course, he's the Slam Dunk champion from last year. Play for the Bulls Lakers, Sixers, 2023 G-League champion. And right now, by the way, Mack, G-League player of the month. So what's the deal? When do we expect you back on an NBA floor? Talk to us. Yeah, I mean, I don't have the answer to that. That's all in other people's hands. But all I'm doing right now is just staying ready and just making sure I'm prepared when that moment comes. Stay ready. Be ready. Mack, you had a stand with the Lakers a few years ago. What was it like being around LeBron? What was it like being on the Lakers and just being on the team like that? Yeah, I mean, it was my first year. So it was being a kid from Gay City, Virginia. It was like I was in a video game or something, hearing them talk in a meeting for the first time. So I think it was really cool for me to just grow up and see what it takes. Like a guy that's the best in the league, in the film room for however long he is, and the first one in the gym, it was like, man, this is what it is. Like, this didn't just happen. So that was really big for me to see also guys like Rondo and other vets like Carmelo, just how they kind of took their day to day. It was really cool for me. LeBron's also called you one of the greatest dunkers ever. So line me up here. You against LeBron, dunk contest, or you and LeBron facing off. How does that look like? Man, first, that's a big honor. I'll tell my kids about that one day for sure. But yeah, I'll probably say like, you talking about right now, LeBron? Or like, prime? Man, don't be, don't be scared, say it. Either way, I'm too scared to say it. Either way, I'm taking you, bro. I don't know. I don't know. I think Young LeBron maybe has it. But right now, I think I could probably get it. He's a humble guy, man. Mm-hmm. You also played last year with Stint with Philly. What was your favorite part about that? Did you ever get some run with the big fella, Joel? How was that experience? Not much, really. I think I got my first NBA game where I got over like 25 minutes. And it was like, it was probably the best game I've had in my career. And it was just like, you know, once you get a little, you know, taste of the NBA, you just want more. And I was like, they gave me a lot of confidence that game. I had a decent game. So it kind of gave me confidence that, hey, I can make an impact. Yeah, and also the last game against Brooklyn, you had that 20 piece right there. That's not easy to do in the league. Not a lot of guys can't say they did that. Was were you just in the zone that night? What was going on there? Yeah, that was the first game I got. More than 20 minutes in the NBA. So it was just like, you know, I got to take advantage of this. And, you know, being in the G-League most of the year, it's like you're never downgrading what you're doing at the moment, but just being ready for like, hey, I'm doing this because I want to be in the NBA. Mac, I played in the G-League when it was called the D-League, the developmental league, and they were still trying to figure it out and get it off the ground. And we were going through a lot of growing pains when I played in it. What's G-League life like now versus the NBA life? Yeah, I mean, it's definitely grown from the D-League and, you know, they're doing a great job with that. I would say like, it's a grind. You know, you're going to motels, not hotels. You're doing all these things, but it's beautiful because it's like, as you know, it's a bunch of underdogs and they're all trying to make it. And there's something beautiful about being in the gym with these guys, like everybody's chasing a dream. And it's special in a way. Obviously I want to be in the NBA, but I'm definitely not proud to be in this league. Mac, you've spent some time around some great players. Another one, Steph Curry, 2022, Warriors training camp. What was that like spending time? Not only was Steph, you got Draymond, Clay Thompson, that team, you know, ends up, you know, winning a championship. Like, what was that like? That was really cool too. I've been lucky, man, to be around some of the greatest players of all time in training camps and years in the NBA. So just seeing those guys, the biggest thing I noticed with them was just, you know, they would take their time or they would talk to me like a guy that's like on an unguaranteed contract trying to help me, which just shows like kind of, you know, their kindness and attention to every detail. Everybody in that organization was really just professional. And you can, you see why people win and some organizations don't. So yeah, nothing but great things to say about them and being a part of that. I know, I know you think Steph Curry is a goat. Do you think he's the best point guard in NBA history? Yeah, I mean, it doesn't matter because there's no right answer at the end of the day, everybody has their own opinions, but my personal opinion, I do think he is. You know what, that's all that matters. The answer is yes. If you, yeah, you think it, you think it. Look, people that may not have been familiar with you are very much familiar with you now after the slam dunk contest last year. You won the whole thing. Do you expect to be invited back? How does it work? Do they talk to you? Yeah, I'm not sure. We'll see what happens. They contacted me last year and if they do this year, I will just, we'll make a decision from there. If you do get that call, Mac, do you have some other crazy dunks up your sleeve that no one's seen yet before? Maybe a couple. I would definitely go to work on it and you know, I'd make sure I put all the effort into come with something that hasn't been seen before. And also guys like Shaq, Reggie Miller, these legends, they're talking about how you save the dunk contest. What you did, by the way. How does that feel hearing that? Oh, it's an incredible honor. I mean, the dunk contest, I think, as little kids is just something I would just always just love watching. I don't know, there's something about it. It's just something so magical. And I was like, I was really in awe when I got to be a part of it. I was like confused. I was like, okay, like, yeah, I'll do it. But no, it was so cool, man. It was just like a, it was a larger than life moment really for me. Did you have a personal fave from any of the things you did? The dunks I did? Yeah. Definitely the first one. I was so nervous, man. I just, I was thinking God, it went in the first time. I think that's one of the biggest things is getting that first dunk to go in. I mean, That is, when they miss it, and they miss it just, it just, you know, that's crazy. He made all his dunks, too. He made all the first try. First try. I feel like you lose momentum. Like, was that big for you? Was that big for you? Like, I know I have to make it on the first try. Yeah, absolutely. I think that's, like you said, it's like deflating the miss. And I'm not going to say if I did it again, I wouldn't miss. I mean, it's like, it's partial luck and, you know, preparation thing, but I think that momentum of getting your first dunk really is, is everything. Can breathe a little bit easier. In high school, you went viral many, many times for the dunks so much so that Drake, I just love saying this, slid into the DMs. What, Drake, what are you doing? But he asked for a jersey. So A, did you send him one? And B, were you worried about the Drake curse at all by sending him anything? Um, I wasn't aware of the Drake curse. Oh, it's bad. Well, now, now that you've said it, no, the man literally posted a picture of Ohtani two days before he signed with Ohtani. And he went to the doctor. He's cursed. But no, I didn't, I didn't know about that. But, um, yeah, no, he, it was, it was cool to hear that reach out, you know? I think I was, I was actually listening to a Drake song when he slid in my DMs and it was just a cool moment for me and my, my hometown boys, they're all in the car with me. So it was, it was really cool. Okay, that's actually pretty funny. Has anybody else, uh, famous, sort of messaged you in any capacity that we need to know about? They channelized me about people's day for sure. No, it doesn't have to be a romance. Channel might make it awkward, but yeah, it doesn't have to be, could be about dunks, obviously. Yeah, that night, I think there was, there was a lot of messages. I didn't even really get on too much about it. It was just, you know, there was so much going on. So it was, it was a bunch of players just showing a lot of, you know, showing a lot of love. Mack, I know how much you take the rest of your game, you know, how seriously you take it. Do you feel like people just view you as a dunker? Like how do you go about every day proving people? You know, there's a lot more to my game. There's more that I can do. Yeah, I mean, I think maybe when I was younger, it bothered me and obviously the dunk contest, people are gonna think of me as dunk first, absolutely. But it's not like I'm really trying to prove anything to the people that don't know anything about me. Like, if you really love basketball, your research, you know, you'd be like, oh, what is this kid about? You'll go look. You'll go look at my stats. You'll look at the opportunities I've been given and what I've done with them and go from there. I'm not really, I'm really, I'm not playing to any type of gallery right now, just trying to be the best version of myself. Onto the important stuff. Your cousin, Riff Raff, he once nicknamed you Ivory Aller. It's the cousin of his Riff Raff? It's the cousin of his Riff Raff. He once nicknamed you Ivory Iverson. That's pretty good, actually. You cool with that nickname? How did that come about? Yeah, Lou, that's not my cousin. So, he just said he was my cousin and... I was gonna say it. I have not got away from that in years, but... Do you even, okay, do you even know him? Not really. What is happening? Never met him. What is happening? Matt, have you ever met him? Never. That's hilarious. How did we get here? This is great. I didn't even know, I didn't know, I knew nothing about this. Okay, well listen. Not your cousin, Riff Raff? Yeah. Do you like the nickname? You know Riff Raff. I've heard of it. Do what? Riff Raff, I'll tell some Riff Raff, man. Here we go. It's fine with me. I mean, it's, I don't know. Whatever people want to call me, I don't really look into it too much. That's, yeah, that's hilarious. You bring that up, man. It's trust me. I don't even know what to do with this right now. So, he's just been going around until, why would he, why? Why would he do that? Why would he do that? Matt, why would he do that? He probably did after the dunk contest. He probably did after the dunk contest. It's racial. It's always racial. All right, so we've learned something today. I feel like that was the biggest thing. But Ivory Iverson's kind of a, do you like the nickname, by the way? Kind of hate it. I mean, it's a compliment for sure. I mean, I don't have a problem with it. I don't love it. Mack, this has been awesome. Our entire research department's obviously fired. So we appreciate you for pointing that out to us. And we'll make sure it doesn't happen again. We want to see you in a dunk contest again, bro. 100%. Make that happen. Matter of fact, I'm not watching unless you're in it. So get back in there, thanks. I like that. Thanks, Mack. Appreciate the time. Good luck. Rest of the way. We'll be back. Say what? Run it off. Run it back. Run it off. Run it back. Run it off. Run it back. Run it off. Run it back. Jalen, can you walk us through what led to the ejection? To be honest, I'm not sure. But I wish I would've got my money's worth. I always thought my first career ejection would be something a little more exciting. You know, maybe a tussle or something. You know, guys get folded up, go to the ground, not some over-emotional ref who had a bad day. All right. All right, Chandler. What do you think about that? By the way, that sweater, I would live in that sweater. It's so cozy. I mean, look. I like it. It is funny because when you think of an ejection, you think of like an outburst. You want to earn it. And it's a lot of money. You're fined. You're kicked out of the game. So you want to, it needs to be something bad, not this. And again, refs are humans. They have their own personal relationships with players and sometimes enough snuffs. And sometimes a ref could say, all right, no more. And then if you literally say one more word, they're giving you the heave-ho. So this, I don't know exactly what was said, but this did seem a little light. An over-emotional ref that he delivered it in one tone. Anthony Edwards, I feel like I know the answer to this one already. Said he does not like being referred to as an all-star. That the all-star game selection didn't count. Somebody got hurt and I was the fallback guy. What do you think about that attitude, Lou? Listen, Lou, bro. Take them how they come, all right. Take it from a guy who's been a finalist three times and never made it. Take the all-star selections however they come. And trust me, it's going to help in your renegotiations to be able to say I'm a one-time, two-time, three-time all-star. You should pay me X amount of dollars. Who cares how you got in? You were in. Take them. And when you got that bonus from your shoe deal, it didn't say replacement. It said all-star. I'm a little bit surprised by both of these attitudes. Interesting. Again, on his resume and his hall of fame. Forever, right? It's not going to say replacement. It's just going to say. I would love for mine to say one-time all-star. Yeah. Take it. I mean, it's like president. You're forever that. That's your title. All right, fair enough. You changed my mind. Pelicans forward Trey Murphy of the Thud said this about playing with Jordan Hawkins. Quote, there's maybe one other duo that can shoot better than me and Hawk and I'd still have to have an argument with that. He's like, what now? Who's the duo? He's referring to Clay and Steph? It could be anyone. There's a lot. That's what I'm assuming. I mean, are they on the same, like in the same planet? Galaxy? The same tier? No. I'm glad this says Chandler. Yeah, that's the point. Listen, they both can't shoot. Trey Murphy can shoot and the other kid Hawkins and he puts them up. They can shoot, but I mean, this is a ridiculous comment. It's a small sample size. We need to see a lot more. They're also referring to maybe the greatest duo of all time. Maybe they're the only ones that are ahead of them. Listen, confidence is great, but he's drunk. I like that he said, I'll still have to have an argument with that. But also when you look around like the shooting duos, like Middleton and Dame, like, I don't know, the shooting, they can shoot, but like, again, we're talking about a teeny sample size. Do it for a couple more years, then maybe I'll buy. Shoms and irons. Then maybe I'll buy, but they both are snipers. I like it. I like it very much. Look, if you don't vote for yourself, who will? That's the one thing they teach you in high school. All right, Lou, you're up. Rashid Wallace is kind of taking the blame right now for Draymond's behavior. Quote, that's our fault. I saw that. He grew up in the 2004 Pistons locker room. One of his best friends was the son of the GM. So he was around us. That's why he's doing the bully. He's doing now. Do you agree with that? Everybody has influences. And I'm sure Draymond took some of that influence and carried it with him, but I don't recall this being his temperament in high school. I don't recall this being his temperament at Michigan State. He did have a couple things at Michigan, didn't he? Were he like, sort of physically? I mean, it wasn't his calling card as much as it is now. But I'm sure he drew some inspiration from being around those guys and seeing how they operated. And once he got into a position in his career where he felt like he can express himself in the same manner that he drew from that. So I would say, I would say sure. I'm right. All right. I like it. Chandler, you're up. Mav Sen. Derek Lively said he would rather be four, five than seven, one. Quote, being seven foot is painful. It's annoying, unpractical. No clothes ever fit me. Can't fit in a car. Can't fit in a normal seat on a plane. These seem like respectable problems. It's a ridiculous take. We wouldn't be talking about you if you weren't seven, one. You're a millionaire because you're seven, one. You're in the NBA because you're seven, one. I'm assuming he's kidding. I'm assuming four, five in total. Also I could have said five, five. Four, five is. Different. Yeah, no, this is, this is, I don't know what he's even trying to do here, but this makes zero. But his complaints seem valid. Like all those things, although you don't use it in normal. I mean, I'm tall, I'm six, nine. It sucks to sit in a, there's cars that you definitely. When was the last time you sat in a normal seat on a plane? Well, six months out of the year, he's on private jet. Thank you. So. And that's a good point. It's configured for giants. That's, this, this is, this is ridiculous. No. The close thing I have wondered about, you have to get everything made, right? Or tailored at least. Yeah. For sure. That seems annoying to me. I think you do too at four, five. Well, you can buy like kid stuff. It's loose, loose. Lose, lose, lose. Darvin' Ham, that's true. You should have picked a five. That's a ridiculous comment. Four, five. He wanted us to feel sorry for him. If I, give me a break. Maybe somewhere in the middle is where he should have gone with that. Like five, eight, five, eight's normal and fine. I mean, halfway it'd be like six feet. Like me. Yeah. And I'm perfectly okay with everything. And I still have issues on airplanes as well. So, there you go. This is such a sad episode. Darvin' Ham recently said this about LeBron James. Quote, do no disrespect to anyone, but he's the best quarterback in the league. Is there anyone better, Lou? I'd have to agree with Darvin' Ham on this one. Darvin' Ham. Yeah. I mean, defensively, you can hear LeBron on TV being the quarterback, being a safety back there, making sure the defense is in order to communicate at a high level. And offensively, we've always seen him pick offenses apart and being the floor general. And so, I don't know who he would have been able to disrespect by saying this. I think a lot of guys in the NBA would agree. This man was literally telling AD how to guard the post, how to score. Oh, yeah. Coaching everybody. He is the best quarterback in the NBA. I don't know. We should ask Trey Murphy the third and make sure before we do all that. Because I don't know what he thinks. We're going to go around the league. Lakers, Mavs, big game tonight, both of them sitting at 14-9, 14-8. Austin Reeves was on yesterday. He said that they didn't think that they would be hanging a banner. And it turns out he was not right. They are. I mean, we mentioned earlier, next Monday against the Knicks, they're going to hang an in-season tournament championship banner. And it's going to be a different shape, a different color. It's only going to be a one-banner thing where if they win in future years, they'll just add the year on later. And I think Lakers have always been the team. You know, you're going to only celebrate championships. There's not going to be any banners for conference finals. And you're not going to give a banner for divisions. But this is a big deal for the league. I think there's a big deal around the league. I think whoever would have won it would have put up some form of honoring for it. So we know how much of a deal and how big, you know, the NBA wants. I wonder, do they do the whole ceremony where they introduce all the coaches and players? No. Well, only if they give them their money, which we heard is not going to be all of that. I wonder, that would be interesting though. Imagine like rolling out a cart of money. I'd be down for it. Right? I don't know if it'll be safe, you know. You'd be down for it. Give everybody a briefcase. I didn't think about that. You're right. That'd be great. A lot of problems that would probably make. So Lakers, obviously with the in-season tournament win, I'm wondering if it did anything to change your mind as far as their capabilities for winning it all this season? Yeah, I think it's a tall task. But I think depending on the moves they make, how quickly Gabe Vincent, so he's returning soon. But when you look at the Western Conference standings, Minnesota's one, Oklahoma City's two, Dallas is three. Crazy. I think Lakers are better than all three of those teams. So when you look at the wherever one's at, yeah, I think they have a real chance. They still have to go through the nuggets. You know the Clippers are going to make a run. So I think the Lakers are right there. As long as LeBron James can keep doing what he's doing, we see more of Anthony Davis in the in-season tournament championship. And they're getting contributions from everybody, from D Lo, from Reeves. Yeah, they're a balanced team that are prime to win it. Mavs, Kyrie Irving, out. Who steps up? I need a four or five, Derek Lively, to step up. I think he becomes more of a pick and roll threat that he's already been. I think they lock in. That's my bad. I think they lock in with Luca and get Derek Lively going, playing a little better. Seth Curry is getting back in the swing of things. Numbers are down right now. But I feel like this is a great opportunity for him to find his rhythm going forward in the season. Also, I thought this was going to be like the breakout year for Jaden Hardy. And I feel like his minutes have been inconsistent. He showed flashes last year in the summer that he can be that score. They can go and get you 20, 30 points. And he hasn't done that. Josh Green, same thing. I was looking for both of these young guards to kind of step up. Now Kyrie Irving's out. Now's your chance. Now is your chance. Another game tonight, Warriors, Sons. Biggest challenge as they start to implement Bradley Beale Chandler. What will it be for this team? It's just going to be a little bit of everything offensively. How are they going to get into their offense? Who's going to play point guard? How are the rotations going to work? Who's going to be the odd man now? Like, is Bates Diop going to now not play? Grace Nallin's minutes are going to fluctuate. Everything's going to alter a little bit. But this is a luxury. It's a great problem for them to have. I hope all three of them can make that return and just see how explosive they can be. Because when you look at it, they're all these scoring wings that can post up, that can space the floor, that can handle on pick and roll. So you don't really need a true point guard. So I'm not too concerned about that. Who are they going to guard? Are they going to help on the pick and roll? Someone's going to be open. You're not going to be able to double team all three of these guys. So that is the huge luxury that they have. And it's going to be exciting to watch. It's a good problem to have. We have a quick break right now when we come back. Wrapping things up. We'll turn it back. I went on a date with this girl one time. I forget where we were going. Where was it at? Might have been in, like, Chicago or something like that. We went on a date. I got to the spot, right? We were just sitting at the bar, waiting for our table, getting drinks, whatever. She opened up her phone. The last thing she had on her phone was Aaron Gordon's network. I mean, first of all, privacy screen. That's your number one lesson. And number two, what? This is normal. That's gross. Yeah, I don't know why you surprised. He seemed a little while. It seemed like it's happened, but he was just recollecting one particular lady. Does this really, like, have you caught anyone? Well, they just tell you. I'm sorry? Yeah, it just goes without being said. You know for the most part that this is what they're after, which is funny. Me and Lou just thought, like, what are you getting? You're not getting money. I didn't give you none of that. I'm rich, not you. You can look up whatever you want to look up. It's gross and thirsty. It's called window shopping. Yeah, that's what it's called. And by the way, we Google her too. But it's just funny that she literally didn't even have the decency to Google her. I'm sure that's not her first NBA date. I can't even defend it, by the way, as the sole chick up here. It is what it is. We'll be back tomorrow. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back.