 Hello, everybody. I'm Chris Sheeran coming to you from my house, and Michael Grady is coming to us from his place as well. We're doing what our colleagues across the board at Yes or Bring You, trying to bring a little normalcy into this, these uncharted waters we're in, and we're just letting you all know, yes, we're here. Michael and I are gonna go through an NBA bracket. Now we want the NBA to come back ASAP, but we want to do it where it's in a situation where everyone is safe, and they're talking about going through August and playing and hopefully getting back in July for their season. We don't know what's going to happen, but I figured a couple days ago, Michael, since we're not gonna have a March Madness, maybe we could have an NBA Madness if it doesn't come back until August. And I tweeted these out. I was bored as everybody else's, so I said, you know what, you know, it'd be really fun, at least for me. And this is my own little personal NBA utopia. Don't hate, as Jamie Kennedy said in Malibu's Most Wanted in that movie back in 2003. Don't hate. If you want to make something up where you're doing your own NBA utopia, go right ahead. This is mine, and I'm having Michael here help me with this, but I figured just like the All-Star game, Michael, we could have two regions of 15 teams. That's the entire league. That's 30 teams. Now, the only thing I got pushed back when I put this on Twitter, I want to get your thoughts on this first. They didn't want to include all the teams. They said, a couple people said, give me 24 teams, and then I'll be into it. But here's my thing. Trey Young would not be in that mix in those 24 teams. I want to see these young stars. I want to see every single team because we might see an All-Star situation, Michael, where all these teams lock in, hey, this is one game. We have to do this. And I want every city involved. What do you think? I would, too. And you're being generous to Knicks fans, although I don't even think Knicks fans want to see that team in a tournament. But no, I want to see Trey Young. I want to see some of these teams that are kind of figuring things out. And there's different ways, again, like you said, that you can do this. You could have Atlanta and the Knicks play for an opportunity to play a top-level team. There's certainly different ways to do it. But also, after all this time, I think fans will at least want the opportunity to see their team play at least one more time. So if you limit it to just 24, some team season is completely over and that's it. Once we're back to that sense of normalcy, like you talked about, they still won't get an opportunity to see their team. I think every team deserves a chance to at least play one more game. That's my thing. Everybody's starved. Everybody in every city is starved for something. I mean, usually, Michael, the sports world, and I know our colleagues with the yes, we're here, things that they're doing, they went through this as well. But when there's been a personal tragedy in your life or a national tragedy, such as September 11th, when sports comes back, it's that escape that everyone so desperately needs. And we don't have that now. And it's just weird because every time something tragic strikes, it's that three hours of a baseball game or three hours of a football game or two and a half hours of an NBA game that just gets your mind off of everything. And you're able to just be normal for those three hours before you go back to feeling that tragedy. Yeah, no doubt about it. I mean, there are bigger things at stake right now that we're dealing with. So I think we can talk about both at the same time, you know, the health issue and what's going on in the country. And that makes sports seem small in the grand scheme of things. But to your point, sports is also huge as an escape as a way to get away from issues and to level the playing field where it didn't matter where you're standing is in life, whatever it may be, where you are, you can cheer for the Yankees, you can cheer for the Nets, whatever your team may be. And that escape is much, much needed. So let's get into these these brackets, Michael. So what I did was I went all star game. I know half the one team wore Gianna's number and the other team wore Kobe's number. So my regions, the two regions are the Gianna region, which has the Bucks as the number one seed and they get a first round buy. And then the Kobe region, which has the Lakers as the top seed, and the Lakers get that first round buy. Now let's start because I think this one's a little bit more intriguing. The Kobe region to me that how I set it up is pretty intriguing because the eight, nine matchup, you know, the eight, nine will take on the one that has the buy the eight, nine matchup in the Kobe region is the Nets and Pelicans and either team that wins there that next game against the Lakers. I'm locked in on that game. It's either Zion against LeBron or it's the Nets took the last three of four against the Lakers. I like that. I like that. And I had an argument at breakfast because my stepson is a is a he loves the Nets, but he's, you know, his family are all from New Orleans. Right. So we had a little argument at breakfast over that. I would go, I would go Nets in that scenario for an opportunity to play the Lakers, but that would be a fun matchup right there for sure. All right. So you have the brackets. So for the sake of time here in that Kobe region, do you have any upset specials as I get a little Dick Vitale in here? You know what? The one I look at like one that's a potential for an upset is honestly the Timberwolves at full strength, you know, with D Lo cat like that squad could give the nuggets some issues. I still have the nuggets winning. So the one that I have will not necessarily be in the first round. I really have chalk in the first round, but Houston, that's a team that a lot of folks love to hate. And when you're playing small ball, all it takes is one off shooting game for you to be knocked out. So Houston could get it could get knocked out in that first round against the Bulls. However, if you're hitting on all cylinders, Russ is going James is going and you're hot. Yeah, go on and run in the tournament. So that's the direction that I was. I went the direction of Houston winning that first game over the Bulls and then beating the fourth seed Miami in round two. I have the same thing in that round in the final eight in the Kobe region. I have Lakers Nets Rockets Heat. But here's where it gets a little weird. Now look, you and I, because we cover this Nets team, we've seen Bradley Beal in fourth quarters go absolutely off. Okay. Yes. So I have Bradley Beal in the whiz, upsetting the sixers in the first round game. I have the 11 going and beating the six there. And I have them meeting the nuggets. And then I have the Grizzlies and the Raptors. So I have the Grizzlies beating the Spurs. Yeah, I have the Raptors getting by the Warriors. And how funny is that? Last year's finals is a round two 15 matchup. I like that. The Warriors and here's where it gets even better. I have John Morant and the Grizzlies taking out Toronto. I almost wish that the Grizzlies had a different matchup because I want to see Jago further. And we saw them not long ago just completely obliterate, you know, Brooklyn. And one of the Brooklyn wasn't playing Brooklyn wasn't playing great basketball at that time. But the Grizzlies just looked locked in. Like they are really trying to hold off the Pelicans and other teams for that eight spot. So they're playing they're they were playing focused really tough basketball. So I could see a squad like that with a hungry player like Morant going on a run. I have Toronto beating them though. And right in round two. But that'd be a heck of a matchup. All right, see, no one should ever listen to me when I do my brackets. I think I want first year we had the the challenge. Yes. And then every subsequent year, which is 17 years by the way, no one could ever. So but I figured how could you not have a little fun, Michael, if you don't have a couple of upsets specials and it doesn't end there for the Grizzlies. So my bracket might be completely messed up. But I have them beaten the Raptors that I have them beaten the Nuggets in the next round. So the final four in the Kobe region for me, Lakers Rockets, which who wouldn't want to see that matchup in the final four region, right? Have the Nuggets and the Grizzlies. And I have the Grizzlies advancing past the Nuggets. And then I have I have the Lakers coming in. So the final two. So in that final four, the Kobe region, my final two for the final four overall, the Lakers and the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are my VCU, my old school in Gonzaga, you know, my George Mason. They're my guys. I am locked in on Memphis right now. I like it. I like it. Well, I got Lakers, Houston, Denver, and then Toronto. Toronto. I have so much respect for for the way that they've been playing. A lot of folks thought Kauai Leeds, they're gonna fall by the wayside, but they've been playing with the championship pedigree that I didn't think that they had in them. So I have them beating Denver there. So my final two in that Kobe region, Lakers and Raptors. All right, let's go over to the Gianna region now. And this one for me, I don't know about you, I'm gonna let you break it down first. But this one for me, I kind of have chalk. It's one here, one there, but nothing too big. So do you have any upsets on this side of the bracket? I'm gonna have to duck from all my my Indiana people to my upset in the Gianna region. Seeing the Suns earlier this season at full strength with Rubio at the point and Devon being able to play off ball do this thing. Like I the Suns were playing some really good basketball injuries and different things kind of threw them off as the season went along. But the Pacers, again, if we're saying basketball comes back in August before this whole thing ended with the whole thing started where they they stopped playing. The Pacers were trying to figure things out. You know, Victor, the Depot is back. How is he going to work with Malcolm Rodney and how are these all guys going to work together and they were kind of sputtering a little bit. So you have the Suns at full strength and the Pacers still trying to figure out their chemistry. That makes Indiana right for an upset. That's my one upset. Okay, the Gianna region other than that. So yeah, I have pretty much chalk other than the Blazers as a nine beating the magic because you know what I have that one too. Yeah, take that back. I have that one too. Dane. Dane in a big game or in a one off. I'm taking big game. I'm sorry. And Nurkage would be back too. And Nurkage too because it's healthy. And wide side. Right. Absolutely right. And then the rest I believe here I have is chalk. Let me just make sure. Yes, it is. It's chalk. All right. Moving forward. So I have Bucks Blazers, Thunder Jazz, Pacer Celtics, Mavs Clippers. Now the clips and Celtics advance. So I had the Pacers. You have the Suns, but I have the Celtics and Pacers and the Celtics moving forward. Then Bucks Blazers. I have Giannis moving Thunder Jazz. I'm taking OKC. You know, they're they're a scary team and they've been playing well too. Everybody like CP3 went to OKC and everybody was like, ah, that's like a throwaway. He's going to want to get out of there. He has those guys playing well, Michael. That's the story outside of Lakers, Bucks. That to me, that's the story of the NBA that's not being talked about enough what OKC is doing. They folks, I talked about a dip for Toronto playing without Kawhi Leonard this season. The drop, the Thunder loss, Paul and Russ, in their record, if I'm not mistaken at the time, Play Stop, was better than the, than the racket. So at how? How? So look, Chris, Chris put this on his mantle in terms of his list of accomplishments in his career, what he's been able to do with Oklahoma City. They are a Cinderella story in this bracket that would be really fun fun to watch. And so, yes, they would be better than beat the Knicks for sure. I have them beating the Utah Jazz, and I think they would get Milwaukee all they could handle in that final four of the Gianna region. I, I have the same thing. And I think that Bucks OKC game would be very dicey for Yannis and company. I think, I think the Thunder would play them extremely tough, but Cinderella's slipper in my blind, in my bracket gets broken. Yes, the Bucks advance and the Clippers advance. So if, see, this is why I set it up this way. I took the Clippers, I made them the two seed in the Bucks region, and I took the Raptors just to mix it up. So if it got to the case where it was one, two, it's Lakers Raptors and it's Bucks Clippers. So you might end up having Lakers Clippers in that final, Michael. And that's what I have. The Grizzlies, although I liked them up into the final four. There's no LeBron like a playoff LeBron because a playoff LeBron gets things done. I'll put you. I had Boston Clippers Clippers getting past them and then the Clippers getting past Milwaukee. So I have Lakers and Clippers in my final. Oh, so we have the same final. Same final. Same final. We got to get Adam Silver to make this happen. We need these brackets to stay intact. And we need you and I to like be there at the arena, like with our brackets in hand and ready to go. Exactly. But think about it. You know, with all this stuff going on, you could have it in one arena. It could just be done in one area. You have all the players in the same area. You have the same facility for everything. And you just get it done. And it gets everybody back into the sport. Now, do you count the champion as the NBA champion? Maybe not. But it's a good vehicle in my eyes. Again, my NBA Utopia. Don't hate. In my eyes, it's just it's something that gives the fans a spark again and maybe gets people back into that swing with sports coming back, you know, they got past. Yes. Yes. No doubt. No doubt. You can add a charity component to it. You can add different elements to it for sure. There are a lot of NBA players who've missed that that March Madness feel and playing those style of games. Look, seven game series can be really taxing. And so playing a one and done style tournament like this would take some of these guys back to their March Madness roots. And for a guy like LeBron, never got to experience. Right. So, so the pressure for each game, I think would be a lot of fun, not only for fans, but I think it'd be something these players would embrace. Hey, look, I don't know how you felt about the All Star game this year. I had mixed emotions with the rules going in because I kind of like things the way they always used to be. But I got to tell you that fourth quarter was amazing. The deep that was being played in an All Star game. It took me back to the mid to late nine or the early 90s to the mid 90s with the bad boys in Detroit. The Knicks, if you went in the paint, you were black and blue. That's what that defense in that fourth quarter reminded me of. It reminded me of old school NBA. It was tremendous. And it's something mattered. Something was on the line. You had to get the kids behind the baskets who they were playing for a reminder of what the guys were playing for. And there was there was something on the line and it made them want to play defense. And I think that this format for a one and done style tournament would have that same type of element. How many times have we seen a blowout in game one of a play out of seven game playoff series and guys go, you know, we'll get them next game. The next game was a blowout the other way. There's no incentive until you get to that elimination game where guys start putting everything on the line to avoid elimination. And this every game is an elimination. So I think you would see the same intensity of play that we saw on the All-Star Game 4th Core. Michael, as you said at the beginning of this, it's just so nice to see your face. It's so nice to hear your voice. It's so nice to talk sports, even though this is like imaginary. It's just so nice to be sitting here and conversing about something other than common core math. Trust me. Right, right, right. Listen, stay safe. Thank you for the time. And as I always tell you, I wish it was the case now. We'll see it throughout the game and on the post game show as well. Oh man, my man, my man. By the way, who do you have winning between the Lakers and Clippers? Oh, oh. I got Lakers. I got Clippers. I got Kauai. I got Kauai going back to back and a belly and a belly. Yeah, I like it. Sorry, I miss John Sterling too. I got to get him in there. Yeah, I like it. I like it. I got LeBron, brother. All right, Michael, stay safe and be well, my friend. Appreciate you, brother.