 Run it up, do run it back, yeah. Run it up, do run it back, run it back, run it up. Good morning and welcome to run it back here on Fandall TV. It's gonna be one of those allergy days for Lou and I. How are you feeling today, Sean? I'm feeling great. I'll pick up the slack for any of us with low immune system today. Pick up the slack. I was there a couple weeks ago, so I understand. It's not fun, it looks gross, sounds even worse. And our friend, Chandler, I'm not even 100%... You're at home? What is this? Why are you at home? Because I have a 9 AM flight, Michelle, in Burbank that I would not be able to get to to get to this golf tournament. It's an excused absence. What are you, what are you, the, what are you, the Dean of Students? Yeah, I am, I'm a hall monitor today. And I'm not... What are you gonna say? What are you, a safety patrol? Lou's not happy either. Lou, do you feel betrayed? You could have got to that plane. It's a private plane for Christ's sake. Yeah. It's gonna leave whenever you get on. It's semi-private. I don't even know what that means. Good God. All right, fine, we'll talk basketball. Here we go. Games happened. Heat, Sixers, the play-in. It was a fun one. Sixers win this one, 105, 104. They get the seven seed. Joe Ellenby had his 23.15 rebounds, but Nicholas Batum, the man of the night, season high 20 points, six to 10 from the three. Jimmy Butler with 19, Tyler Hero with 25. You know, this was a grind for this win. And now they sort of enter the fray here as we hit the playoffs. So Lou, do you feel better that they had to kind of fight for this one, get their legs ready? How'd you feel? Yeah, this was a good win for them. You know, struggles are not on the offensive end. You know, Joe Ellenby, he's gonna take time, right? He had so much time off. Yeah. Basketball is a rhythm thing. He's trying to get his rhythm back in games that mean so much. Not really a lot of time to have a warm-up, but other than that, I like the fact that he showed up in the fourth quarter. 11th, fourth quarter points was able to lead those guys and give a lot of credit to Nicholas Batum, shot the hell out of the basketball, gave them an opportunity in the game. They looked like it was gonna go the other way. It felt like that. Yeah, Miami was throwing a lot of good looks at them, threw some zone at them. That zone was very disruptive for the 76ers until they adjusted to it and was able to get their zone offense going and get them out of it. And I think that's when the game started to shift for the sixers. But listen, I feel better about it. They grinded out a win. Joel got another game under his belt, a good game under his belt, something to build on. And so they can move forward with that. Yeah, that 39 points at half, Jailor. I was like, uh-oh, this is an ugly one. Yeah, it was ugly. And it was a low-scoring game. It's not what we got accustomed to seeing this year. But honestly, I'm with Lou. I feel better after watching this game. Haven C. Joel played 38 minutes. First of all, it was very promising when the season on the line. They want that seven seed. They want to shot it in New York and not Boston. And they got it. And they had a huge game from Nicholas Batum, who's been doing this for a really, really long time. And I feel better because in a game that they did have to grind it out, that nobody really was efficient from the field, they all had their struggles. They figured out a way to win. And they figured out a way to make plays. And they went to Joel and Bede late in the game, who made a lot of fourth quarter plays, who, like Lou said, scored 11 in the fourth, made a great pass to Kelly Ubre. It's pretty much clinched the game. I feel good about them. I feel really good about them. And the fact that Joel and Bede is this close to return and then just now back, and he's already playing 38 minutes. I love, because you've seen his, he's comes up hobbling every now and then, but he's working through pain, obviously. But I think they're in a really good spot. And this is a team that was clicking early. And obviously when you lose a guy like Joel, it really, really hurts. But now the fact that he's back and they got shooters around them, where he's gonna see a lot of double teams in the next series, it's all about whether those other guys can step up and make shots. Do you think, you know, and Bede with what he's done in post-season's past, and then obviously last night, he got real hot there towards the end. Do you think he placed through his mind sort of the expectations that people have or this reputation that he's garnered? And then knowing that he's a little bit hurt, does that play into what he's gonna do out there? No, he doesn't care. He knows he's struggled before, but this is a new season. He's a new player. And listen, if he's fully healthy, which I don't think he's ever gonna be fully healthy for the rest of this season, but he's one of the most dominant players that we have in the league. He's coming out, he was going to be the MVP this season. So he was going again. And there's nobody on this New York next team that's going to stop him. So he's going to see double team. He's going to see triple teams. He's going to just have to make the right, easy play in this next series and get these other guys involved. Like Kim, Buddy, Heald knocked down these shots. Tobias, Harris, and Kelly Ubre have got to be good. Tyrese, Max, he struggled last night, but he's been their most consistent guy all year long. I find him to be extremely valuable in this matchup with Jalen Brunson in the next series. So Joelle has struggled in the past, but I think this is kind of his turn, this is his team, and he's going to turn the corner this year. Do you have any concerns about Joelle and Bede? Other than maybe he's not 100%? No, like I said, not at all. And the 76ers don't either. They understand that this is their best player. It's going to take some time. He's going to get his rhythm back. And they're not going to stop feeding them the basketball. You know, six for 17 is an inefficient night, but I want them to get close to 20 to 25 attempts. You know, that's going to give them a better opportunity to win games. And so was he efficient? Absolutely, absolutely not. But I wanted to get him even more touches, even more minutes to give them opportunities to win games against the Knicks. More? Well, you got Batum out there doing some things. What'd you think about his play? That was good. That was good for them to get some production out of their bench. You know, especially when it comes to playoff times, they're going to throw doubles at Joelle and Bede. They're going to throw different looks at him. So to get that production, to have somebody that you can throw, you can play inside out and somebody to knock down shots and give you that depth that you're going to need in the postseason, this is a great start to the playoffs for Nicholas Batum. It's kind of fun sometimes. I listen to, I listen to half a game on the radio and then watch the other half on TV. And when I, when I flip it on and it's all Batum, I was like, I was a little bit happy, shocked. I don't know, Chandler, what'd you feel like when you saw him doing what he was doing? Yeah, I mean, listen, if they're getting 20 points from him, that's obviously a really, really positive thing. He's always been this versatile player. He's long, he's active, he's a great defender. But if you're, if he's making six out of 10 threes, they're going to be in a good spot because they have so many other guys that can score the basketball. They have a, you know, a duo that can go get a buck to a Tyrese Maxi in transition with his speed and his athleticism and then Joellen B to the post who nobody can guard one-on-one. They've done a great job kind of surrounding shooters around them. So when you get this action from Nicholas Batum, it's just a cherry on top. I expect this from Bunny Hill to go nuts and hit seven threes in games. I expect this from Uber and Tobias Harris, but this was a big time game from a vet player. And they're going to need him. They're going to need him. I expect him to guard Jaylen Brunson a lot in the next season or next series. I expect him to be a critical factor, especially with Covington out, Melton not playing guys like that. A lot of these defensive assignments are going to fall in Batum. But yeah, if you're getting 20 points from him, they're going to be tough to beat. The one, the big story that came out of this, of course, on the Miami side, Jimmy Butler. How bad is it? Jimmy Butler, one of the game's greatest competitors. You know what he did? He played the last three quarters of the game last night with what's feared now to be an MCL injury in his knee. I'm told the expectation is he's going to be out for multiple weeks with that MCL sprain. That knocks him out of the play internment game on Friday against the Bulls. And it's obviously just a devastating blow to Miami to their season. They've obviously had an injury riddle of the year, but Jimmy Butler, the fact that he somehow was able to play through an MCL injury for the final three quarters, that was a nasty landing that Kelly Ubre had on his leg. And it twisted, and he is now going to be out in definitely at least multiple weeks. How's he playing on that? I mean, he's tough as nails, we know that, but this is when you say out a couple of weeks, that means he's out for the season because even if they do manage to beat Chicago, right? They're not beating the Boston Celtics without Jimmy Butler. So I have a lot of respect for Jimmy, again, playing through injury with a season on the line. They showed a lot of guts, and that was a nasty spill. You kind of knew right away that that was going to be something that was a little more serious than just banged up. But this is tough, because everyone's been talking about the expectations of the Heat. Can they do it again? Are they just going to push this magic button and turn it on? And it showed flashes last night, but without Jimmy Butler with him out for this next play-in game, I don't even see them getting by Chicago, let alone if they do that to get past Boston. So it's going to be tough, and it's just devastating news for the Heat. You know, there's one team that's probably disappointed that Jimmy Butler's out, but not really tripping, and it's the Miami Heat. When you come down to it, when you talk about Heat culture, they're a plug-in and play team. They've always been tougher. They've always set themselves in that place. They don't feel sorry for themselves. Hey, somebody else has to step up and be the leader now, even though Jimmy is out, obviously that's going to be a tough blow. But they're not sitting there worried about anything. I'm guaranteeing they're looking forward to this game now, then some other guys got to step up and play. I did notice Nick's fans, when your tweet went out last night, Nick's fans were like, damn it. Like they could have had the Heat without Jimmy Butler. That would have been a whole different world. We got a guest coming on now, joining us from Philadelphia 76ers Center. Paul Reed, what's going on, Paul? Thanks for joining us, bright and early. People, Paul, Paul, you just woke up, huh? Yeah, how you, did you just wake up? I wanna, I wanna. Yes, I like that. Two minutes ago. We can tell. That's all you need. By the way, after a win like last night, which, you know, you got a lot more to go, obviously, but do you celebrate? Is it just business as usual? How does the night end? I mean, you know, there's a lot to eat with some friends and, you know, get some rest, wake up today, get back to work. You know, it's supposed to be off there, but you know, gotta go in and jump, get some recovery. You know, get a little workout down, get some shots up and, you know, get out of there. Yeah, that's how it is. I mean, that's. It's only all day for about three people in the whole gym. Everybody else is locked in still getting some work in. Fair enough. Paul, you guys now will face the Knicks in the first round. Was there multiple conversations, how we wanna get this win to, to match up with the Knicks? You confident that Knicks? And was it more that, or was it more to avoid the Boston Celtics in the first round to make this game so important last night? Nah, man, I mean, I feel like I mean, that can no smoke, but yeah, we wanted the Knicks matchup. Of course, that's the easier team, I guess. But, you know, it's gonna be fun. You know, we've matched up pretty well with him. They got a great guard. We got a great guard. We also got Joe, you know, MVP. So, you know, like you said earlier, he's one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now. So we, they're gonna have to send triple teams and he's gonna get everybody else involved, I'm sure of it. Yeah, I mean, they got three out of four against you guys this year, but Joel only played one of those games. So now with him back playing 38 minutes last night, you guys got to be confident, right? Fully loaded. Oh yeah, we're definitely confident. You know, I feel like that could be any team in the league with a really healthy, for sure. Bebo Paul. So Joel last night, 23 points, 15 rebounds. What have you learned playing with him? Is there anything that you feel like you can do that he can't do, or anything that he does that you really, really wish you could do? I mean, that's a good question. I feel like it's a lot of things that he does that I wish I could do. But you know, we got different roles out there. You know, he get paid the score the ball, get paid to go out there, play defense, get rebounds and finish at the round, you know? So right now we got different roles. So I understand that. But you know, I'm working up to it. You feel like I want to be, you know, able to do what he do, you know, one of these days. But right now I'm cool playing my role for the team, whatever the team need me to do when I'm cool doing that. Paul, you know, Joel is one of the league's most prolific trash talkers and trollers. Walk me through, walk me through one of those practices where the coaches are letting the foul slide a little bit, that it's getting a little heated. One of those, how was Joel in practice when it comes down to the trash talk? It's all right, man. He's definitely a big trash talker. You know, I'm one of those dudes where, you know, I'm not going to let him just score easily, you know, I'm going to fight, you know, we're going to bump. You feel me? Man, I ain't even letting that happen easy. But, you know, he going to talk, you know, that's one thing about him. He going to talk trash and I'm going to talk trash too right back at him. You know, we be going at it in practice. It's tough though when he's so good at drawing fouls and normally we have like referees at our practices and, you know, they give him every whistle. That's all I'm going to say. It's rigged. By the way, the referees in practice has never been a good idea. That's a great, like, what kind of referees? Referees. Like real ones? Realistic again. Yeah, you can get a couple of guys with some shirts just to regulate practice. It just keeps everybody off the coaches because usually the coaches on the referees, they going to get cursed at every place. So they just bring in referees to do it. Well, I'm here. The Joe L&B to OGN and OB stuff because they've had some skirmishes. So I'm looking forward to that very much. Paul, are there any players in the league that you won't talk smack to? Is there anyone that you just would rather leave alone or no? I mean, I ain't a big trash talker in general. You know, I let my game do the talking, but I feel like, like dude, like LeBron, Cary, I talked trash, Cary, one time. I ain't doing that again. Uh, there you go. To be honest, you feel me? You know, I ain't even just chill. You feel me? Just to let my game do the talking. So Doc Rivers was your head coach for three seasons. Now you have Nick Nurse, Paul. So what's been the biggest difference between Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, so far for you? I mean, they both have completely different coaching styles and they also both have different defensive strategies for it for real. So that's been the biggest adjustment for me is understanding the different defensive coverages that we use and the terminology. You feel me? That's the biggest difference for me. Paul, your game has really expanded with your first three seasons. You make three threes this season. You had 21 threes. Is that just something that you wanted to make a point to the game's changing? Everyone's taking threes and something you just really practiced on. You really want to add to your bag? Yeah, that's definitely something I want to add to the bag. But, you know, it's always been a part of my game. No, it's always been in my bag. Now it's just getting more opportunity to display it. And, you know, it's tough, you know, going out there playing and being a center, shooting threes. You know, you don't want to get too comfortable just settling for threes every possession. You know, you miss two threes. Now it's just like bad offense. So it's kind of just about taking the right shots and at the right time for it, for real. And that's the hard part, you know, passing up them open shots. Where did you get the nickname B-Ball Paul from? Who was the first person to call you that? I got that. And I met a school this soon, and I made it up myself. That's a real nickname. Self-appointed B-Ball Paul. Yeah. First IG name. Oh. What a name, though, you know? That's very marketable, Paul. You need a nickname, Choms. I don't know about that. I'm working on it. Paul, you played all 82 regular season games. One of a few players, 16 other players, can say that. For you, how meaningful was it? Like, how exhausting is the day to day? How many days were there where you're like, I don't want to play? And if there were, who talked you into playing? I mean, it was a couple games for sure. But my medical staff, they kind of talked me into playing a couple of times where I was sick. And I didn't really feel like playing. You know, my body wasn't feeling good. But, you know, I ended up fighting through it. And just, you know, being there for the team. Because, you know, I understood how much, you know, the team needed me at the time. So, you know, I had to fight through the fitness. Hey, Lou, this is a serious question. Lou, have you ever played all 82 games? Because I did it, I don't think I have. Like, I can't recall. So no. That's crazy. I know I've played some high 70s. I don't think I've played a whole 82. All 82 is something. That's tough. Doesn't happen. The casters don't even do all 82 games for the team. You looted 81? Is that what? You had 81 twice. I think Chandler did 76, 76 games for Chandler. Slippery. And Chandler's not here today, Paul. So it kind of makes sense. He sort of mails it in repeatedly. Load manager, we can call load manager, Paul. Yeah, okay. Let's talk about tweets for a second. Back in March, you tweeted, I played like shit with the face palm emoji. Which, A, I kind of find funny, because now you're putting it out there, which you know the fans can go along with. It got a couple thousand likes. What does playing like shit mean to you? I mean, you know, just going out there, turning the ball over, not finishing at the round, missing my opportunities. And you know, on defense, you know, missing coverages and, you know, hey, my plus minus, you know, I'll be looking at my plus minus if it's really bad, then, you know, I always feel like I didn't play well. I love that you put it out there because now they're like going to agree with you and it gets worse. Let's talk a little touchdown pass you had to buddy-hilled a few days ago, because this is a nice moment. Was there ever a time where you thought maybe football? Hell, yeah, that was my first, that was my first passion. You know, I wanted to go to the NFL, play tight and I received it. All right. But then, once I hit middle school, that's when I started, you know, really becoming a Hooper. That's when I became a B-ball par for it. Paul, it's like a summer, you signed a three-year deal in Utah, which really ended up matching, which I think was a great move by them, but I'll hype for you that they matched, you didn't have to go move to Utah. Chandler. He's always picking fights with cities, man. I'm just saying, when you signed there, were you hoping that they matched or was that something, that's a drastic change? That is a drastic change. Ain't nothing in Utah for real, you know, I was preparing myself mentally to make it the best of the situation, but I was extremely excited. You know, they waited till the last minute to match off. It's got a road, it's like torture a little bit. They're skiing and stuff. Last season. You're not allowed to ski. I know, you're not allowed to. God, that's a great point. Okay, never mind, there's nothing. Last year you called Anthony Davis a quote, big flopper. And of course that becomes a thing because we live for moments like that. Did you ever hear from him? Did you regret it? Like, would you do it again? Nah, I ain't regret it, but I wouldn't do it again either, you know. I feel like, you know, I gotta give him, I gotta give him some more respect than that. You know, he's one of the best players in the league, and you know, I got, I played with Joe Will, so I shouldn't call it flopping. I shouldn't call it, you know. He's good at drawing files. You feel me? Like, he's a, he's a great player, you know. And I peed at the next game, he tried to go at me right away. You feel me, when you play at Lakers on that day. Yeah, of course. Well, is there anyone that is a great flopper still? I mean, Lou, you could say it first. Who's a good flopper in the league right now? I'm not the game. You're not even, you can say it. I don't even know. Chandler. I know we got dudes that are good floppers. I mean, there's, oh, you know, they got Delbron, Flops, Chris Paul, Flops, CP, I mean, Joel, he's a little exact, Luca, Luca. I mean, you know, everyone knows who's the, you know, who's the actors out there. But honestly, it's part of the game. You have to master that. It's, yeah. It's an irresistible one. It's definitely part of the game. It's definitely part of the game. Definitely part of the game. Paul, we appreciate it. Best of luck the rest of the way. Not too much, you know. He's playing the Knicks. B-Ball, Paul, we appreciate you. See you soon. Coming up, Hawks Bulls, and we got some scoops with shops. Run it up, run it back, run it up, run it back, run it up, run it back, run it up, run it back. Start for them, by the way. Last night, Bulls Hawks, they eliminate Atlanta from the play-in. 131 to 116. Kobe White, a career high, 42, nine, and six. Vusevich had 24 points. Dijonte Murray with 30. Look, we're gonna start with the Hawks here, only because they're 20 and 31 with Trey and Dijonte Murray in the lineup together this season. And a lot, this even came up during the game, was what happens next, Lou? Do you keep one? Do you keep both? Who do you keep if you choose just the one? I'm torn. Obviously, Trey is someone I've worked with. I've been part of the Hawks organization. I was a part of that Eastern Conference Finals run. And the core of that group is still there, you know? And so I wanna see them be successful. I think they had the tools to do it. I don't know what, I don't know what went wrong. You know, I don't know what went wrong, whether it was a chemistry thing that trying to work in, Quinn Snyder, or what. So it's a touchy thing for me. I wanna see Trey be a lifelong Hawk. Yeah. He's deserved that. He's done probably everything that he can do being in the position that he's been in, that he's been put in to lead a team, to be the face of an organization, be the face of the city, you know? Trey Young, we consider him an Atlanta one of us, you know, one of our guys. And Dijonte has come in and given the Hawks, you know, a spark, something to be excited for. But they hadn't figured it out together as a unit. Personally, I would like to see them try it one more time. I understand that's not how this business works, especially when you've seen a level of success and you know that your team is capable of it and, you know, they fall short of that. Some decisions have to be made. So, I'm just gonna be a fan in this one and just see what happens. See what happens. Yeah, but I would love for Trey and Dijonte to get another opportunity, another crack at it, but, you know, this business isn't a patient one. It is, it's an interesting, it's like a weird dilemma. I mean, you hear the Trey Young rumors, whether or not any of that even comes to fruition. Chandler, if you were GM, do you give it one more shot? Do you make a move? I probably shot both of them and just see what I can get. But you look at Trey Young's numbers this year, the dude average like 26, 11 and three. So, whatever it is, if it's personality wise, the history that he's had with his coaches, his teammates, I don't know what it is, but the kid is a Hooper, right? And I played with him as well in Atlanta my last year. He's a good dude. I think every year he gets older, he's going to mature more and adapt. I think he came in as such an electric scorer and shooter and, you know, focused a little bit more on that, but he's a really good dude. He's a good teammate. And I think his time has just ran its course in Atlanta. I'd like to see him somewhere else. Honestly, he's so talented. And again, this year, he gets a raw, he gets a raw deal from media, from everybody because he's not a bad guy and he always produces and he might not be the most efficient player, but he's fun to watch, he's excited and he's an absolute Hooper. So whether it's in Atlanta or not, I'm cheering for Tre Young because I really do like him, but the Hawks just in general, they confuse me because you look at their team, even last night, I mean, they were missing Akangu, Siddique, Jayla Johnson and AJ Griffin's been out for a long time. Those are all valuable, valuable players. So it's not like just like a dumpster fire in Atlanta where they need to panic and rebuild. They have the assets. They have DeAndre Hunter and Bogey and Capel. They have so much talent. They have 10, 11, 12 players deep on this talent that you would think would transition into wins this year. And it just didn't. And they had some guys in and out of the lineup, so I don't think they need to panic. I do think they move a couple of those pieces that a lot of other teams would like and you can get a lot back for. So depending on the market, what it is for Tre, what it is for Sojante, what you can get for either of them, I think you take a good look at it, but there are no position really to panic is they have so much talent. They're young, they have bigs, they have guards, they have scores and they have a lot of assets that other teams want. So I think they're in an okay position, but I definitely expected a way better season this year from them. I guess there's no harm, no foul in shopping around and just seeing, right? I mean, that's not, that's always seems like the smart move to do. Anytime you have the talent that they have, two guys, one guy on a max contract, one guy on a significant $100 million contract, and you fall short of expectations and you, what's their record? 20 and 31 with those two guys in the lineup together. You have to evaluate everything. I think the Hawks are gonna take some time, really go through meetings internally and figure out what's the best course of action. We know they shopped Dejante Murray at the Tre deadline. They had discussions with several teams, including the Lakers at the deadline, did not move him. But I think when you look at Tre Young's future, when you look at Dejante Murray's future clearly, something is going to have to give in Atlanta. The one thing though to keep an eye on is Quinn Snyder, that aspect. This is, you just finished his second season in Atlanta. I believe three years left on his contract at $8 million per year. There's been some conversation around the league. What's his status like? He's committed there. He's going to be there. And his relationship with Tre Young has been strong. So where does that leave this organization as they make these hard decisions? This is gonna be an important off-season for Landry Fields and that front office. I mean, he has those sweet red frames. He's committed to the uniform and the color scheme and I appreciate that from him. If you trade, like is there a world or a team? Let's just play hypotheticals. If you do decide to trade Dejante and or Tre Young. Are there teams you'd rather see them go to? Hypothetically speaking, I would like to see a reunion with Dejante Pop and Wimby. I think that'll be a nice start to get some veteran guys around Wimby, give some a score, give some a guide that's gonna defend. And just like you said, another dynamic player that can go out there and help Wimby win some games. I would like to see that reunion. What about you, Chandler? Yeah, I like that. I like the Spurs and I like through Orlando Magic. They're gonna have a lot of flexibility. They have a lot of money. They kind of need a point card to play with Franz Wagner and Paolo. So I like both of them there. He could easily go to a bad team. Detroit has a lot of money. Utah, Toronto was crazy as Oklahoma City have a lot of assets and $35 million this summer. So it's crazy. I don't think either of them are fit with SGA and Jaylen Williams, but it's just crazy that they have that much money. But there's a lot of opportunities out there with the two big ones for me or San Antonio and Orlando, because I think that's the need that the team needs and I think it'd be a good fit. Chandler, that's where either or or Dijontae? Honestly, I think if there's one person that could really get through to Trey Young, it's pop. I honest, as good as Dijontae was there, I like Trey Young to San Antonio. Put him with Wimby the way he passes, the way he shoots the ball and can expand the floor for him and with those other assets with Vasell and Kellen Johnson and Sohan. I love Trey Young there. Obviously Dijontae's been there. He's comfortable, he can fit there too, but I like either of them to either of those two teams. I think they'd be more successful there than both back in Atlanta. All right, we're gonna stay on you on that one, Shoms. I imagine that's gonna be a fun offseason to keep an eye on. Kobe White though did have the night. He was the man, he had 42 points. It was very, very impressive, Chandler. What stuck out to you watching him play last night? Maybe I just haven't watched the Bulls a lot this year, but this kid is dead. Nice, Lou. The things he was doing with the ball, he literally was playing like Kyrie Irving last night the way he was handling the ball. Look at this move right here. And then just bodies slapping the glass. Like he was unbelievable and he's a big guard. He could shoot it. Everything he hears is the best dude, the best kid ever, but this was a big, big stage, a huge game for them. And to go 15 to 21. And Shoms, I hear this right. These stats don't count for his career. Like his season. Is it the play and tournament, the in-season tournament? That is bogey. I don't even have official games, I don't understand. I don't get it. I feel like they didn't think that through. Well, play and tournament, I guess you could make the case it's like a quasi-playoff game. The weird thing is like the in-season tournament when AD, what did Anthony Davis have like 40 and 10 in that in-season tournament? Yeah, like that's what it's called. That didn't count. You can't write. I agree. I agree. So these performances are in-season. If you get a tech, do you get fined? Cause it's not a real game. And if you sit your entire team, cause it's not a real game, are you gonna get in trouble? Like that kind of seems a little- I don't have a player. Cause I want my 42 to go in-season. I'm serious. But regardless, I didn't know he had this. I know he's in contention for most improved player, but wow, what a performance there. There's nothing he can't do out there. He is an elite player and it's funny. He just signed an extension, I think, for 12 million a year. He hadn't done that. What is he looking at this summer? You know what I mean? This kid can absolutely go. And I loved watching him play. And I think he's gonna do it again. And I think they're gonna get in. Where's when Lonzo Ball comes back? What happens? Yeah, that's a big whatever. Yeah, that's a big whatever. Also, Zach Leving, this kid has always had game. They've just been stuck. They've been stuck piled with guys that can score the basketball at those guard positions. And so he's kind of been an afterthought. Now that he's getting the opportunity with injuries, he's being able to show his star power and what he's capable of. Yeah, they did his draft class and it's sort of like, it was just quietly, he was the seventh pick. I was like, oh well, maybe we shouldn't be shocked. They redid mine too and I was like a top 10 pick. I was the second rounder. Did that make you feel, how'd that make you feel? It's like, I've been that player the whole time. Let it out, Lou. Let it out, Lou. He's gonna let it out. Alex Caruso left in the third. That's again, these injuries are starting to annoy me, Shams, is this one a bad one? Yeah, he re-aggravated the same left ankle that's been bothering him for quite some time now. I think his status for tomorrow, very much in question. Obviously this is a guy that's in contention for all defensive team right now. So tough loss for the Bulls if he cannot play, but listen, Miami's gonna be without Jimmy Butler. So these are two teams that are gonna be potentially dealing with pretty major injuries. That, it's like Duncan Robinson didn't play. Like this is gonna be a weird one, but yes, it's a rematch of last season's playing game. And of course we know that Miami did win that one. They split their series this year. Lou, who wins? Chicago Bulls. Okay, then. I'm really confident in the Chicago Bulls. Chandler's been on the Miami Heat Train. I haven't been on the Miami Heat Train. Now that Kobe White is playing out of his mind, and we haven't even mentioned Demarra de Rosen yet. Demarra de Rosen was shooting threes, being that anchor, being that steady player that he's always been. Vucovic was playing well. Chicago just looked like they were prepared for the task at hand last night. They looked motivated. They looked like they were confident. And I think they have the same thing going into this next one. I don't know if they want their season to end in Miami for a second year in a row. What happened to the Kings the other day in the playing tournament? Their season ended in Sacramento to the Warriors last season, then they beat them. Revenge. I don't know if the Bulls want to lose that home again. Oh, so that crowd last night in Chicago was great. They were, it was like old school. You know, this format, like a New Orleans team who just loses and then a Miami team, I feel like they're so deflated after this. And then you got Sacramento and Chicago that are going there buzzing on a high with momentum after playing really well. I like both of these teams to get in that weren't, that were the underdogs. So I like Sacramento and I like Chicago on this. I can't unsee what I saw last night. Jimmy Butler going down as a major, major factor. I don't love that Gruse is probably going to be out because they need his defensive presence and his leadership out there. But yeah, give me, give me, give me Kobe White in the Chicago Bulls against the Heat. Kobe White in the Chicago Bulls. Did not have this happening. I kind of love the surprise. I'm not going to like too many injuries though. We do have some scoops. I like today's scoop shoms. This is a good one. Caitlin Clark, rookie Phenom, soon to be playing for the Indiana Fever. Number one overall pick. She's nearing a multi-year lucrative, eight figure deal with Nike as her shoe company. She will also have a signature shoe with Nike. So Sabrina Unescu, Brown Stewart, also WMA players with signature shoe deals. And it's an eight figure deal, Michelle. That means I'm not amazing at math. That's at least $10 million. At least 10. I'm told it is well beyond that $10 million mark. Amazing. Under Armour Adidas. I'm told also made sizeable offers. Stefan Curry was involved in the Under Armour pitch, which is notable. He has Curry brand with Under Armour. He was involved with that pitch. Him and Caitlin Clark, I think are beginning to develop a relationship, but she is not signing there and she will soon be official with Nike. I love it. Do you? I do, I love it. I'm a coach. I'm on the women's side. I am part of this community. So to see these women getting there, just do have an opportunity to provide for themselves at the level of other NBA players and top stars. I'm encouraged for young women to come. So I love this. How can't we just see? Did the Sabrina shoe is a big shoe, right? Like that one does well. In the NBA as well. Yeah, yeah. The Sabrina's are actually the team shoe of my girl. Shout out to winners United Basketball. All of my girls wear the Sabrina's. I'm sure I'll be able to get them a pair of the Caitlin Clarks as well. And we're going to keep motivating and encouraging these young ladies to strive. And this is a great example of why you should. Eight figures, champ. Lou. Yeah. Hey, listen, I'm on the side of people getting paid and all these people making fun of her salary, her, her, her WMB each shit because she's making more money than you. So keep hating. She's changing the game. She is awesome. She deserves it. And listen, she's going to kill in the WNBA. I think she's going to have a great rookie year, but this is awesome. I hope this is just the beginning of these girls getting these massive deals because their salary is crazy. It's done. So they're going to find other ways for them to make money. And this is a huge start for, you know, women in general and the WNBA because she got a bag. So keep laughing at her salary. But she's been. I don't even know if we're laughing at their salaries or if it was more like people didn't know just how low the salary is in the WNBA. I think that's the great part of about having great players. You bring awareness to these. You know, for years, there's been a conversation around WNBA players' salary accommodations, how they travel, traveling commercial. When the NBA is traveling private, all of these things, now we're starting to bring light to it. We're starting to be knowledgeable of it. And so I love it. The game is growing. It's getting to a point where it's fascinating and people that usually don't watch women's basketball, they're a part of it now. They're part of the show. Anytime you get criticized, anytime there's trash talk, congratulations, you are part of the show. It's happening. People are tapping into what's going on. And I absolutely love it. I travel weekend and week out with so many young aspiring WNBA players and they're glued to the television watching these college games. So if they can translate over to the professional side, I think that makes the game so much better. Hey, and Lou, you know what's crazy is Nike's cheap. If they're paying her this, you know she's getting bags from every other company too. It doesn't stop right here. That's the point that Chandler makes is that beyond just this deal that goes beyond $10 million, well beyond $10 million, there's several deals that are part of Katelyn Clark's business portfolio. As there is with Serena and Esca, as there is Breonna Stewart, Katelyn Clark is making several, several, several millions off the portfolio. Good for her. Good for her. So shout out to her representatives who are working on her business portfolio. Yes, making money's cool. I don't wanna go back to the injuries, but unfortunately it seems like that's what the big story's gonna be. As we move forward, Zion News. Yeah, we said yesterday, it was a hamstring injury. Yesterday, the Pelicans say it is a strain in his hamstring. He's gonna be out at least two weeks. I mean, just unfortunate, he's gonna be out in their playing game tomorrow against Sacramento. And he was playing the best basketball of his career. I think we can all agree on that. 40 points, 11 rebounds, five assists in that game against the Lakers after being three and one against them, losing the way they did in the in-season tournament game the last day of the regular season. But now as I want to say, we'll be lost for Friday night's game and possibly well beyond that. I just like to say that sucks. Yeah, that sucks. It's like, that's just such a big one. And I really do think, I know we'll never know, but I feel like the Pelicans are gonna pull that one out. And then that happened. All right, we'll take a quick break when we come back. He's back with some more advice. Michael Bowling joins, run it back. Run it back, yeah. Run it up, run it back, yeah. Run it up, run it back. Michael Bowling is back from BR betting. Welcome, Michael, by the way. Yes, okay. So we're gonna get right into it because we just mentioned the Zion of it all and they had the tough loss against the Lakers in that first one. Now, no Zion as they face the Kings. Weirdly though, the odds at Fandall right now are just Kings by a point and a half. So I would have thought that would be bigger. What side are you on? I'm on the Kings minus one and a half. Like you said, no Zion. That's pretty tough to overcome. And I heard Sean saying he was playing the best basketball of his career. I think he was challenged in that last game and he stood up to it. But I think the Kings are gonna be too much. They're coming off a high. They slayed the dragon of the Warriors. And I really think they're gonna be able to control the paint. So give me the Kings minus one and a half. And I also lean over to 12 and a half. The number was up at 214 this morning. It came down a little bit, but the Kings love to play at that high pace and we love to watch it. So I'm thinking it's going over. CJ McCollum is the X factor here. If he can play much better than he did last game, shoot his normal, you know, 25 points. This might be close, but I like the Kings. Yeah, Lou, it's weird too because the Pelicans have lost six straight at home. That's probably people wondering why the Kings will be favored on the road. That's probably a big part of it. Who you got? I like the Kings. I like the Kings on the road. You know, Chandler alluded to it the last time we were talking about it. When you get that big win, especially against the Golden State Warriors, it's like a monkey off their back, right? So they're going down in New Orleans with a lot of confidence, feeling like they can win this game. In New Orleans, where's your fan base? The first playing game, the seats were empty. They were 12 bucks. The excitement wasn't there. They were affordable. Coming down and supporting this basketball team, it's important, especially if you want them to be successful. And so I like the Kings in this one. Zion is out. We don't know what's going on with BI, whether that's a menace restriction thing or there was a coaching decision. But he's has to be in at the end of games. But I still like Sacramento down there. Chandler, what about you? Yeah, I'm all over Sacramento. I think it's just, New Orleans is deflated, man. Last Sunday, they could have clinched the sixth seed. And now they got Brandon Ingram not playing at the end of games. They got Zion out. They've lost six in a row at home. That's tough to overcome. And Sacramento is the exact opposite. They're coming on high. Like Michael just said, they just knocked off the big brother, the bully that they could never get over the hump with with the Warriors. I just love the Kings. I know it was a huge blow to have her and Monk out. But when you see guys like Keegan Murray step up and you have that duo and you can get some contributions from other players, Keon Ellis, Davion Mitchell, those guys are huge in the first round game. I just think they're going to be too much and the Pelicans are just too deflated right now. I love this, by the way, Michael. I like these kind of little prop bets. First bucket. I try so hard and I never get this one right. So give us a couple of options to look at. So my two picks, first I'm going to start with CJ. He's plus 600 on the Pelican side. I truly believe, like I said earlier, if they want to have any chance to win this game, they got to get him going. And I think they got to get him going early. They do run a lot of pick and pop with Jonas Valentunis who scores a lot. So if you want to take a flyer on that also. On the other side, Keegan Murray, you're giving me plus a thousand on a guy who just went berserk in the last game. Like always got to do a step out for a three. He knocks it down, you turn your 10 bucks into 100, 100 into a thousand, whatever you got. So those are my two picks, CJ and Keegan Murray. Mike, I had Keegan Murray as well because, and Chandler can tell you this, usually your first bucket, you know, you have your superstar guys, they're going to get 25, 20 to 25 touches anyway. So that first play usually goes to a role player that you want to get going. Keegan Murray being that guy that can shoot the basketball, he's going to need that confidence in that momentum going into that game. I was going to pick Keegan Murray to get the first shot. Well, you still can in real life, Lou. Plus a thousand. You might as well give it a shot. Take a look at Bill's heat coming up next. Yep, you know, Chicago looked, I mean, they looked good last night. I don't know what else to say. They go down to South Beach now. No, Jimmy. The odds right now have the heat favored by three, Michael. Are we, are we going with them? End. Oh, they have one and a half here. Yeah, so the line moved since this morning. It came down after the Jimmy News, but listen, I'm taking the Bulls. I was, I was at the game last night. I bet the Hawks that was a bad bet because the Bulls do this this time of year. So the Jimmy News is a really big, is a really big deal for Bulls fans. He normally crushes us. He's going to be out. So give me the point and a half. I'll take it. I'm going to plug my nose. They have a way of getting us back invested in laying an egg. And I know that you guys who've played in the league probably know that better than me. So as a fan, I'm going to ride with my hometown team, but definitely love the under here. This is going to be a big 10 style rock fight. There's probably not going to be a lot of points in the first half. Under 208 feels like a good bet to me. But like I said, plug in my nose with the Bulls. All right, I like this. All right, we're going to do some same game parlay. We've been trying to do this. We kept track of how good we've been at it. And you know what? I don't care. Don't tell me. Michael, you go first. So my two picks, they'll both be Bulls picks. DeRosa have 25. My guy's been going crazy. He's been the stalwart in this offense. I mean, he's the guy that can get you the mid-range bucket whenever you need it. And he's got that experience. And then on the other side, or not on the other side, but on the same side, Vooch to get 10 boards. He's the best rebounder we got. Bam's a little undersized. Even though he plays really, really hard, I think he's going to have to have a legacy game if they want to keep this close. But give me DeMar 25 points, Vooch 10 boards. Hopefully we can catch this SGP this week. I like it. The Homer bet has been placed on Michael's behalf. Chandler? I am going to go Bulls, Moneyline. I'm with Michael here. I think when a team that's that hot, that has a big game like this, like Sacramento, like Chicago, I think it's just too much for a team to overcome with Miami, with Jimmy Butler out. I got to go with Chicago Moneyline here. I think that's good value. I would have loved it if staying at three points down to one and a half means a lot of people on the Bulls, Jimmy Butler out. I love the Bulls, Moneyline. Are you doing Bulls too then, huh? We're all Bulls. I like it. Yeah, I think we're all in on the Bulls. I like Bulls, Moneyline. And I also like Kobe White to have another big night. Momentum and confidence are two big things. Huge night last night. I think he carries that over into down there in Salah Beach. Kobe White in the Chicago, Lou, you know I've been on Kobe White all year long. All year, you've been Chandler. We know. Kobe White in the Chicago Bulls sounds crazy though. Shout out to DeMar DeRosa. But for 48 hours, he deserves it. So Kobe White in the Chicago Bulls. Michael, appreciate the time. Good luck to your Bulls this weekend. We'll be right back. We need it. I know. We're thinking positive thoughts. We'll be back. Run it up. Run it back. Yeah, yeah. Run it up. Run it back. Run it up. Now you got a scoop weapon. This is one I know Lou will love. Shay Gills Alexander has agreed to a new contract extension. It's a massive deal. With Converse, it includes the title of creative director as well as Converse basketball. And I'm told his new signature shoe will be releasing in 2025. We've been talking about it for the last couple of weeks. He was set to be a shoe free agent in September. But obviously Converse wanted to bring him back. Wanted to give him a new deal. He's earned it. He's an MVP candidate this year. Him, Nikolay Okic, Luca Donchich, Jason Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson. I think we'll see those six guys somewhere in that MVP race in whatever order. But Shay Gills Alexander has firmly put himself as one of the faces of this league. And now Converse and him are moving forward. I like this. Converse is great with that. I was signed to Converse back in the day. They were trying to get in the basketball space and creative director, I said, look, I'm not wearing them if they look like shit, right? And so they were like, well, you design them yourself. And so I'm sure they've given Shay the same lineage where he can just design his clothes, design his gear. What does that mean though? Design it yourself. Are you actually taking a pencil to paper and scribbling? Absolutely. So they're bringing in some prototypes, kind of some blanks just to give you a canvas to start with. And then you kind of go, well, I want to put a scrap on this one. I want to add this. I want to take that off. And then you start working through the colorways. You start working through the specialty games. Then you start going through the merch, the clothing that you want to go with it. So everything that he puts on that's going to have that Converse star on is going to be tailor made for him. And he is like, he's very into the fashion. So this is going to be really fun. He's got the skins deal. Yeah, that's right. He does have a skins deal. And now he's got a full deal. And I'm told this is a pretty lucrative contract that he's signed. And he's going to be the face of Converse basketball for a while now. That's amazing. Chandler, is Chandler still there? Yeah, I can hear him. I can hear him grunting back there. I can hear him grunting like an animal. If you had to design a shoe, do you think you'd be good at designing a shoe? I would need some help, for sure. But Jay's a trendy dude, man. He's a cool, stylish cat. So I feel like this is a perfect fit. Obviously, his game on the court does its own talking. But fashion's a big part of his brand and his life. So having deals like this, where he does get to create a design, where he's in the war rooms designing this, giving his inputs, they're not just giving him a shitty product, is fun. And it's a great brand. I love Converse. This is one shoe I'm actually excited about that I would probably wear just because I feel like everything this dude does is pretty cool. So I love this. And I love to see him financially paid as well. It's a good word, lucrative. We just want to show one play from last night. I guess it's a We Shake Goodbye to Atlanta. But there was a moment. I knew this would be in the show today because as soon as it happened, it was like, oh lord. That's pretty nice. Oh my god. You call it a runaway dunk. Must that be the gut speed? Once a guy can radio up his legs and come at you full speed, just get out the way. But he didn't get out of the way. He didn't follow the rules. Yeah, he did. And therefore, you're all in that matter of fact. It's good to see Dejaunty dunking like that. I can't tell, Lou. What color is that guy getting dunked on? Stop it. Butch is a cool guy. He's clear. Oh, he gets a pass. OK, fine. Fair enough. Clear like the preacher. That's going to do it for us today. All right, Michelle. Take talk. Hang on. Play the games. Menyana. We'll see you bright and early. Monday. Run it off. Run it back. Yeah, yeah. Run it off. Run it back. Run it off. Run it.