 Run it up. Run it back. Run it up. Run it back. Run it back. Run it up. Run it back. Run it up. Happy Wednesday morning. Now it's officially official. The NBA season starts tonight. We had two games last night, but tonight the entire docket is open up for everyone. This is run it back to my right. Stadium insiders, Sean Charania to my left. Chandler Parsons, just had another baby. I mean, you did it, but you know how that works. Lou Williams on the end. Are you feeling, it's the third day. How are you feeling? I'm getting there. Feeling a little bit more each day, right? Let's do it. And you've got the best in the business here teaching. I got it. It's my TV bit. It's easy. It's easy. So yeah, we had some fun last night. Basketball was played. Banners were raised. Rings were given out. There was some smack talk as well, but here we go. What do we think about the ceremony? Everyone loved it? Or meh. Yeah, I mean, it's a little dragged out. It used to be even more dragged out though. They used to call like every assistant coach, every like equipment person. Yeah. Every front office member. This was pretty tame in my opinion. It's tough to play the team that's doing this. You know what I mean? Like I talked about yesterday, that's brutal, but listen, they deserve it. If you got a problem with it, do something about it. Well, a game was played shortly thereafter and the Nuggets took care of business, picked up right where they left off, beat the Nikers, 1-19, 1-0-7. Jokic, first triple double of the season. I predict 82 triple doubles for Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray had a good night. LeBron was legit. But then there was Anthony Davis, AKA the face of the Lakers. At least that's what LeBron said. He had zero points in the second half. Zero. Faces don't do that, do they? It's tough and obviously that's going to be the headline because of all the expectations that he has coming into the season. Everyone's talking about how good of a shape he's in, how this is now. His team, LeBron's taking the backseat and early he was aggressive and I loved the way he came down. He was going at Jokic and he got that first early foul that enabled him defensively. It just confuses me that in the second half when they were making runs he couldn't get to the free throw line. He couldn't get one bucket. Again, Charles said it last night for him to take that next step to be in MVP conversations you can't have games like this. Especially after all the talk back and forth with how he's sick of the nuggets, he's taking it here and this stuff and you go and drop a goose egg in the second half of the opening night. It's just a little concerning as a fan moving forward that maybe this guy hasn't changed. Maybe he's not that aggressive dog number one option right now and that's tough to be saying it on... Night one. Night one, that's tough. But again, it's one game. No, you pick everything you need from only... Deep breath and you play against the one guy that can expose anybody. Yeah, we don't want to overreact but I think for him to be the 1A guy on that team he has to be more aggressive down the stretch. Especially in the third and fourth quarter it was a what, two to four point game. Yeah. He has to demand more touches. I would like to see him with his back to the basket and a little bit more opposed to shooting so many jump shots and just putting more pressure on the defense. But like just mentioned, shouldn't panic game one. It happens to the best of them. What's crazy is their head coach comes out and says I want him to take six three-pointers. Can you imagine if someone told us that? It took two. It took two three-pointers and the head coach is making it a point for him to be aggressive. It doesn't make sense to me. Here's what I want to ask about Yoakich and Adi because if you dropped a person on the planet and he said these two gentlemen do the same job they would easily be like oh Adi's the better of the two. Just physically everything looks and yet it is not that way. How wide would you say the gap is between Yoakich and Adi? It's massive. It's unbelievable. And as a former player like I've never played against prime Yoakich like he with the things he's doing right now you don't understand it until you physically go up against him. It's his angles. It's his spacing. It looks like he's playing with a gun tapping the ball to him and this is a seven foot 260 pound defensive player of the year candidate that he's just toying with and we all know how good he can you know space the floor and pass the ball but it's when you look at their bodies next to each other he shouldn't be able to do this kind of stuff. It doesn't make sense. He's barely getting off the ground. He's like a piece of paper. He's not leaving the earth but dominating the most athletic guy on the court. It truly is my bog. By the way Jasmine Watkins that's not right. You can't be putting that on the Internet. Like it was quick. That's what I love when NBA season is back because I think NBA Twitter is better than any other Twitter that exists. Oh my God. Wow. That's a. Internet is undefeated. Ever. Oh no. It's night one. It's already happening. Okay. That's yeah. Well done. Shoms did you what did you learn if anything about the nuggets last night that maybe you didn't know. I mean I think a lot of people have been going on this narrative. This kind of the Nikolay Okik doesn't care about basketball. He doesn't care about you know anything with the sport. He's not doing anything. I mean this is a guy you can't do what he's doing. Can't dominate the game the way he's dominating if you don't care for the game. And I saw one of his quotes after the game in the press conference. He said like this was a nice moment like he really chairs. He's like I didn't I didn't understand how many people we impact on a daily basis. How many jobs we impact playing the game of basketball and I think that just gives you an insight what he really cares about. Like he really cherishes this. Now on the other side like Christian Brown the way he played I mean only five points to rebound. You wouldn't think his impact was that was that big but he was everywhere on the floor. I just I love the way he plays the energy that he brings off the bench. It's crazy. It's crazy to like usually a ceremony like that before there's some sort of hangover right. There's some sort of let down some sort of OK let's ease away him. This team is just mature and they're poised and they didn't miss a beat last night. I would argue that him going back home and the horses and all that. I think that's healthy if you're if you're three sixty five twenty four seven of something. I mean you need a break right. Everyone needs a break and people were getting on him because God forbid he enjoyed his personal life when he wasn't on the court and I don't care. I don't care what he's saying and he doesn't care that dude clearly trained very very hard. I would love to see his work out. I would really would like to see what he does and I think that would be some weird stuff we've never seen before but he's in great shape he wasn't just no jumping involved no there wasn't even jumping last night no machinery I wanted to be all outside and natural. By the way we have heard from magic Johnson the first tweets of the NBA season have come in and he's just he's one of the best guys. Tonight the world champion Denver Nuggets are going to be tough to beat in the NBA playoffs. Well said well said I think we all can confirm. We're going to say he's unstoppable and nobody has an answer for Yolkich but you can't you can't play the entire season that way you have to have some sort of a strategy some sort of a plan Lou like what what do you do if you're the opposing coach what do you tell your guys as crazy as it is I think people still make Yolkich out to be underrated in a in a weird way he's still he's still underrated and you kind of take him for granted because he doesn't have all the athleticism that you would expect coaches pray pray the only time I've seen Nikola Yolkich like truly kind of phase was in the bubble which is ironic when the way Dwight Howard played Yolkich in the in the western conference finals like he was up in him he was he was he was you know he was he was touched and pulled and grabbed I'm not like I'm not like I'm not the unlimited car but but he was he was he was really getting in Nikola Yolkich like everywhere on the floor and you know the Lakers bigs Jackson Hayes Christian Wood Anthony Davis those guys are all athletic I think they're all built well but those guys aren't the physical presence that I think you know we'll see if someone you know I think Zubac can can mess with them a little bit down low but there's not that many bigs now in the league someone offensive minded like Anthony Davis you get him in foul trouble like make that a point early in the game which he did but he's somehow stopped going to that in the second half but get him early one, two fouls get Najee in the game and then you go on your runs but to to be able to play him heads up one on one and for that long it's just it's not going to happen there's no recipe for that there's no recipe for that I say yesterday he was unguardable yeah it's just hard to accept that like you have to come up with something somebody has to come up with something Jamal Murray 21 points on the evening ceiling wise for Jamal Murray Lou what do you think that is? I think the ceiling is high for him I thought he played well yesterday didn't force anything was efficient just let the game come to him and I think he can do that with playing next to Yolkich you know just coming off of screens playing off of the ball taking the opportunities that he can take point per game night guy this year so another all-star year and another deep playoff run yeah I agree that whole streak of no all-stars that's done he's an all-star he's all NBA this year this team's going to win so many games they're getting two all-stars and it's going to be those two guys I'm curious you played against Jamal in that series that you guys had you know I hate to bring it up you know in the bubble they'll say oh man don't say that but when you like what do you make of him obviously he had an absence with the ACL in between yeah I think he's just tired of being left out of a lot of conversations when it comes to the top guards in the league and I think that started in the bubble with him and I think Donovan Mitchell were going at it they were going toe-to-toe and I think from that point on he hasn't looked back since you know I think this year he solidifies himself as a top five top six point guard all-star caliber guy and he keeps saying we're talking about is he a top five point guard and I'm like look I'm like Garland Fox I'm trying to find people better than him for some reason but they're not he's a winner he can do everything he defends he can shoot the ball on an elite level so he's he's kind of going into that real stardom all NBA level and it's tough he's standing next to a two-time MVP so he kind of gets overlooked but he's there and then I feel like the team this kid was on the Lakers or next he would be a A-lister all day every day we talk about it speaking of LeBron 38 years young 21st season we know all this he did have 21 points he played 29 minutes I can't ask at this point yes we're all impressed I mean to say we're not is is silly what do you make of what LeBron is still capable of doing it's unbelievable it's just we talk about a year in year out and it continues and how much time he clearly spends in the off season how much money and effort just to continue to be in this shape you see him in transition there's no difference than LeBron second year and LeBron this year it is outrageous it's a difference maybe a little bit above the rim but the physicality getting out in transition bullying dudes like it is crazy that he's doing I can barely I'm on load management today being here this guy's still putting up the 20 piece like it's ridiculous it's nuts it's I don't know how he does it but I didn't catch those genes maybe you'll pass them on maybe I will to your children the 29 minutes Darvin Ham was asked about he said is this is this probably going to be the norm for LeBron and to his credit Darvin Ham was like yeah probably would you think of that I mean LeBron James is 38 years old he's in year 21 I think I think he said such an unrealistic bar for himself I mean he's been playing in the mid 30s over the last several seasons in minutes place so obviously this is a Lakers scene that's trying to play till June it's not about opening night and so I do think the Lakers clearly have set the tone that they're going to manage his minutes more this season and also another thing he's recovering from a torn tendon in his foot that he's rehabbed he's fully recovered but he spent all summer kind of rehabbing that and so early in the season you want to manage his minutes which is smart by the way if they have any chance in the post season later in the season they need LeBron healthy so don't blow your wad 30, 35 minutes when they're going to be in the playoffs and if they go in the playoffs full steam and he's full steam they're a tough team to beat but no reason to rush anything early it's still amazing to me that he's in year 21 he's 38 years old and we have such a high expectation level for this guy I think early on in that game he was picking his spots didn't play a lot in the preseason I thought he was trying to get his legs under but then after that he started picking up steam getting out in transition not blowing past guys but just debowing getting straight to the rim laying a ball up screaming asking for fouls I think that's incredible I hadn't seen anything like it do you start a LeBron game now that we are as far into his career as we are thinking will this be the game that I see something that makes me think okay this is it I think we've seen games where he's looked human and he's like alright and then second half he changes the narrative every time so at this point we should just enjoy the ride wait till the wheels fall off that's fair what a nice optimistic way to look at it who got the calculator out last night and figured out how much LeBron's outfit was worth because that is that's something $28,000 outfit which I mean it's probably more than that I didn't see the watch the watch itself is going to be something but there it is nice bag nice what do we think the bag is expensive for sure I was about to say a lot of that is the bag it's a fit or brick guys I get it too it's a watch I mean it's a brick really? yes I actually kind of like it but you're giving some praise to Ron today am I shocked? yeah you must be but he's going to say it's a $28,000 outfit so he doesn't care what I think well it photographs differently than it does on the walk doesn't it I'm actually shocked it's only $28,000 I'm telling you we're not taking into account jewelry and whatnot no definitely yeah because that's not but the bag is not shoms I think you could wear that top yeah you can this is a little aggressive at least on cameras the bag looked empty it did look empty that was just a piece the bag was empty Luke can tell when a bag is empty the bag was empty then we also have the rings we're judging everything right now all the aesthetics that were going on last night the rings that the Denver Nuggets received before the game did we like the shout out Jason Beverly Hills yeah this guy he does them every year right yeah I mean how do you not like a championship deal for it yeah you got layers yeah it slides out it's like a transformer it's like a safe yeah yeah that's cool that's where your drugs kids that's where you put that what is that that's a stick ring she said it that's a stick ring why else do you have a weird pocket that's a stick ring how heavy are those things I wouldn't know we wouldn't know what that maybe you held one I don't know they're heavy they're heavy not practical that's not as close as I've ever been to one thanks for bringing that up well happy Wednesday yeah there was another game stayed on the west coast for this one little sons little warriors action last night and look we're going to read into everything because the season started that's what we do but the sons beat the warriors 108 104 Booker 32 6 and 8 Durant 1810 Curry Curry had his 27 but PS4 for 14 from 3 but things on the offensive side looked pretty pretty good is there a player that surprised you the most I don't know if surprised I were but you subnercate I think seeing the impact that he had 14 points 14 rebounds 5 of 8 from the field this is not a guy that's going to be demanding the ball down low he's literally just playing really out of the high post he's playing a lot of pick and roll he's doing whatever's ass him in the offense setting hard screens for Kevin Durant for Devin Booker and soon here either Thursday or Wednesday and that's why the suns went out and prioritized him gotten us here little they really added depth to this team they knew that was an issue last year after they made the trade for Kevin Durant when you trade Mikhail Bridges Cam Johnson you deplete your bench you deplete your lineup and I think they were able to kind of go after a lot of those guys will punish their bench and they believe at the end of the day you subnercate was a better fit and we saw Nurkic I think shine last night I mean that's let's stick with that is he that much of a better fit than Deondre Aten was I do I think so I mean Deondre Aten is more talented he's going to have bigger games but for this team and that roster and that big three you want Nurkic making the extra pass you don't want him back to the basket demanding the ball you don't want the issues that we heard about with Deondre Aten the locker room and the selfishness those are all gone Nurkic knows how to and you know he's been there before but he was so critical Shams hit him and a Kogi last night they were everywhere and those guys are going to get looks those guys are going to have valuable minutes because all the attention is going to go on that big three and you watch the way their offense was set up last night too this is a wet dream for Devin Booker he's never had this much space because if he's you know if he's driving to the nail KD's guy is not helping Brad Beale's guy is not sinking so like he's he's just in the gym yeah and I think the mind sets are different between Nurkic and Deondre Aten you know one is a former number one pick if I'm not mistaken he's coming into that fold thinking he and Devin Booker are one and two punch right so mentally I think that's how he carried himself with Nurkic coming in he understands that he's just going to he's going to eat off the land he's going to take that advantage of the opportunities that's given to him playing off of those guys and I think we saw that last night he wants to do he's thankful to be there he's happy to be there but he should be because he's in a great situation but that's a great point because as a number one pick you have expectations you're people in your ear oh you can do more you can do more now we'll see how much more you can do but Nurkic is a great fit so far so the post game workouts I don't get it maybe somebody can make it make sense to me but is it makes sense I think that's a good amount of teams do it but in the hallway like this well yeah if you're the away team they're probably not even allowing you in the weight room so this is this is all the warriors basically provided for them so you have to get a certain amount of workouts a week right so why not do it now when you're and then you go to the plane a lot of teams are starting to go to this style where we're just going to set up in the hallway opposed to trying to share a weight room with you especially when we're rather do it in our own space out in the hallway let the music play I mean the video of a world class athlete in the hallway just it's kind of amazing everything is everything is documented now but this is the norm this is interesting that the media is able to record that's what I thought I feel like we're just intruding right now but again now like you don't want a to be doesn't have to stay an hour after practice tomorrow to work out he just gets it done do you want to say anything about him he wasn't going to be in a three-point contest and literally Asia roasted which by the way he wasn't in a three-point contest so you were right about that he's a good player though what eight points I never said he was a bad player Sean solid play I know I know we never said he wasn't a bad player what do you think of the elite shooters in the NBA does you know what a Tobi's name come to your mind here we go come on stop people are trending for all the wrong reasons that way you're terrible but no he's not terrible you are right right Devin Booker you know we're doing this we're doing it all season long I'm going to ask you top ten in the league yes okay but then what are the other nine all right well the five we said yesterday throw it plus Jason Tatum plus Jason Tatum who's we missed yesterday yes we did throw in remember who he said yesterday but that's not the point the point is this dude has developed it doesn't he made me think last night they don't need a point guard really okay this guy can play make this guy can handle the ball the plays he made down the stretch and pick and roll finding the open man and kudos to Eric Gordon and Nikogi last night who stepped up and hit big shots but Devin Booker is not just a scorer he's not just to go get a bucket he has evolved into this absolute star he can handle pick and roll he can go off the block he posted up he's got a huge advantage of his size but it doesn't matter who their first option his second option last night it was Devin Booker he was the closer Thursday night could be someone different so that's fluid that's fluid it's going to be whoever's hot that night and last night was his night KD struggled a little bit he's not going to do that multiple games in a row next game it's probably going to be Kevin Durant it's going to go back the book it's going to be Bradley Bill it's a great problem to have a shot down the stretch didn't shoot it particularly well but I thought in the fourth quarter he was the one to punch that they needed to close that game out Dreymon no Dreymon last night as far as his absence goes are you working right now I love when Sean's is working I think someone's getting traded who got traded James Harden reported back to the 76ers facility today so ten days he was away trying to start kicking in today and James Harden is back but he's been out for the last ten days he hasn't been a part of any team activities he has only done one five on five this entire last month of training camp has not played in pre-season so I don't expect to see James Harden on the floor anytime soon but he has returned to the team they play their opener tomorrow do it for sale Philly JH let's go live breaking news can we talk about the live break this is another day just another day it's better than CNN that's all I know no Dreymon I want to know how does it impact this team and are they are they too small I mean for sure they need Dreymon Green I think they even said he was interviewed during the game and he even said I'm our team's anchor defensively because of my voice and the way I'm able to communicate with the players and I think the Warriors are believing that he is close to return this is the four to six week ankle injury that he dealt with and will be within this week but for sure I mean Dreymon Green is the engine of this team's defense and for them to be good and to be a contending team this year they have to lock in defensively and he is the heartbeat on that end we know he can play make and facilitate and get guys in their offense but his value comes on the other end the way he talks the way he calls out screens that's what he does so I think for them to kind of be that team during the post season they have to lock in a lot of stuff Curry they are going to put up points they are going to shoot a lot of threes but defensively these guys got to lock in and then the growth of Moody and Kaminga and these guys who showed flashes last night that they are ready to take the next step as well you know we are going to have all eyes on Chris Paul Lou that's kind of where we are 14, 6 and 9 a couple key turnovers that he forced in the final minutes I thought he looked fine I thought he played well for them got those guys going in transition I thought he made the right passes made the right decisions in the open court and then in the half court I thought he got good looks where everybody just being solid and being himself does he start should he start do you keep it this way no Draymond got to come back that gives the second group somebody that's going to make sure they get quality shots down the court every time down yeah the way he is in pick and roll you're almost enabling him by having him in that first unit let him play with that second unit let him carry coming moody get those guys Gary Payton those guys need a captain to kind of run that offense and he is that guy and last night he showed flashes but yeah I think he's better off on that second unit and can have a huge impact on this team why does it matter if you start I mean isn't the finish the whole thing like why is that such a big deal to some dudes is it just ego I wouldn't know I mean a lot of it's a lot of it's ego right like your boys you're asked in training camp are you starting is like the first question how many points you have and are you starting that's like that's just and you're also Chris Paul you know that's fair too legacy after the game Charles Barkley said the warriors are the fourth best team in California Lou do you agree that's a little this cap that's cap big old cap that's what we say in Atlanta but listen this early and Drake would Drey mind coming back I think that gives them the unit that they're gonna need we do this every year with them they'll be in the hunt at the end so no I don't agree yeah I think they're literally second I think the Lakers are the best and I can't trust the Clippers yet they could be the second best team maybe even the first best team but what about the Kings they showed some stuff Kings are up and coming the Kings had a great year I don't know why I wind about it by the way what about the Kings I'm not no horse in that race it's Steph Curry like he's that's that's what it is we're taking a quick break here when we come back a full slate in the league Spurs are playing tonight for the first time you're welcome America when running back returns and it's day two of the NBA season so we got a full slate tonight Celtics nicks I want to see Christos Prozingis back at the garden I mean this is where he started his career this is where he was supposed to be the next New York nicks superstar but now he's kind of third fourth fiddle on any given night and I want to see Drew Holiday for the first time in that Celtics uniform yeah same I think Drew Holiday just he's going to mesh so well with that team especially defensively everyone's talking about the dame and the Brad Biel I feel like that's more going to help take off the pressure on that defensive end for Tatum and Brown so they can really go and be who they are combined for 60 every night how are we going to gauge that like who has the more valuable turn is it going to be Christos and Drew or dame with Milwaukee how are we going to figure that out I think everyone measures that by winning the more they win the better they're going to look and the better impact they have that's the name of the game he's smart and that kind of tough DNA he's going to provide but again when you look at the bucks you look at dame Lillard how he can space the floor and give Yanis even more of a lane to attack and do it he does that's also high value we've got Jason Tatum top five already depending on the day and as far as keeping him there I want to ask you Lou what if you could name it what's missing that's it he's good to go no there's got to be something he can I wish I could expand on it I think he's good to go is there something intangible that he maybe I don't know a leadership thing I mean be better in the playoffs last year I feel like we'd be nitpicking to try to find something wrong he has no left he's got it all he's one of the more complete players in the league but that doesn't make me feel good everyone's got room for improvement perfect wow did you hear that Jason Tatum he is our MVP pick for yes he is oh I forgot you guys do both have a measure MVP okay my bad at least you stuck to it you stuck to it Jalen Brown the big question was the max extension will he won he did so long-term he's a Celtic was that the best move I think that was the right move to make that gives them the stability with that one two punch they don't even get used to somebody playing on a team for them to have this group together for X amount of years and you watch Denver and you see how those dividends have paid off of them it's important to keep those two guys together to have them there and you know you add drew and present us to that mix let's see if they get over the hump yeah I agree people talk about his contract and when now he's getting paid like a top 10 player he's got to be a top 10 player like infrastructure to be a championship team but yeah with that contract there definitely comes pressure and I'd love to see him take that next step I'd love to see him all NBA he's going to be an all-star but again that gets measured by winning the minute they win a championship then all of a sudden that contract is worth it a bargain even yeah like where are they duo wise on y'all's list of current duos in the league aren't there any duos anymore I think all the duos have turned into trio I'd love to see them take that next step before them I mean this is a ball time or now no now what yeah but who Tatum and Brown yeah like now oh I'm talking all the duos all the duos are trios now I guess you could go Katie and book now Luca how do you not do Yolk and Murray when they just won it all so I mean they're top five top five yeah well then there's Jordan and Pippin yeah there's a few and then everyone else like after that on the Nick side of things gonna be fun Major Superstar becomes available and of course we're already looking ahead to that on day two of the season do you think Shams the Knicks will be front and center going after that person I mean let's look at the idea of the New York Knicks they have RJ Barrett they have Immanuel Quickly they have Julius Randall Mitchell Robinson that's just players they have eight first round draft picks that they can trade they have four of their own four from other teams that they've acquired in trade so you have all those players I mean them there's a handful of teams around the league that literally have a boatload of draft picks the Knicks are one of them so yes I mean when that Superstar that they want to go all in on we know they were engaged in talks with Donovan Mitchell and with the Utah Jazz they did not get him there really one first round pick away but they didn't want to pull the trigger they kept you know what they had in the guard but you know whenever there's a big name player available they will be right there no question yeah those those picks to me are more valuable than the players on that current roster and now you look to a team that would be rebuilding and reshaping its roster when you can get all those picks so I look at like a Philly I look at Joellen B where if they're going to start from scratch and Daryl Maury is the king of gathering all these assets that would make sense to me because if I'm New York I would trade everybody on that roster Brunson is the only untouchable but he comes with Josh Hart and Josh Hart they're a duo they're a package they're a top five too they have to be together they're a top five do you agree Lou? like everyone but Brunson yeah I agree yeah I agree if you can land a major player in his league get rid of everybody and then who's left to well then by the way you're New York and you're the Knicks and once you get that star you're going to have you're going to have people to come you're going to have guys take less money to come it's a great city it's going to help to get that marquee name it's shocking to me that it's not like it's New York I mean that's that's why they're always going to be you know they're always going to get the meeting always got an opportunity it's the greatest place anyways another game happening tonight battling Texas Mavericks little spurs the Mabs have some questions what's the biggest one they need to answer Luca Donchich Kyrie Irving defensively one of the best duos in the league last year at least analytics and stats showed it but to me their defensive cohesiveness how they play together defensively it's going to be an impact on the rest of the team and we didn't see that that duo and that team I think gel the way everyone expected to I think they were one of the home court advantage competing teams when they got got Kyrie Irving they ended up missing the playing tournament but listen you have to give Nico Harrison in that front office credit they did and I think it's going to be a great team I think this is a team that now believes with new chemistry having a different slate of guys in the locker room that this team will be better and we haven't talked about this team at all at all we haven't talked about them at all so I feel like you know if done right they could be a dark horse in the West they can really upset some teams and really put themselves in a position and they don't have the expectation level of crazy to think that they're underrated team in the West and they have the talent obviously with those two and then you look at the depth at the garbages they have Josh Green, Jaden Hardy those kids I think are going to take a really big step forward they both can score Josh Green defends Tim Hardaway Jr is going to come and provide shooting off the bench with Seth Kyrie so they have depth I love the kid Lively who's going to be perfect Luca and pick and roll is that lob I agree with Lou I think that they have a chance I think they need to defend they need to figure out which line up works best with Kyrie and Luca I think it's going to be Josh Green is going to be the guy that's going to defend the best player like he's going to be there a Kogi but yeah they have the talent they have the depth what happens if this doesn't work like if you mean I don't think it matters really yeah I mean everybody can't win everybody can't win I don't think it matters yeah and they just they're very small sample size of this last year and everyone kind of erupted that didn't work but it takes time there's two to ball dominant players that are such good scores like them they can't just it takes time it takes feel you got to know where someone likes the ball their spots they got to get in the flow of the offense they have to make sure they're getting everyone else involved so I think it'll be a slow grind for this team god sham god here's some these are normal I mean everyone's calling them wimby arms this is the normal but this is normal right although now with wimby in the league this is more about finishing than wimby I promise you it was just funny because he was screaming wimby or something yeah well they do look like wimby arms this looks like a summer workout where you're trying obviously you know it just kind of emulates a long contest from a guy very very but yeah this is the norm it's basically doesn't it sort of it looks different now that we've seen wimby do wimby things it looks different that's like a person they're planning for yeah it's like a personal costume you're like and speaking of they will be playing this first tonight and I know it's all Victor Wiminyama talk I mean even last night they weren't even playing yet there was like a three minute segment all about Victor Wiminyama but Devon Bissell during the offseason he also got paid X Factor could he be but they do have some pieces they have talent they're going to defend you know they're going to be in that system where they're going to every single night they're going to play harder than the other team so that's one thing you can count on it's just the talent they don't have the depth they don't have but yeah it's going to be fun they're getting this is probably the worst team to get the most national TV games ever dare you what do they got like 13 or 15 14 I think it's ridiculous but again that's the I'm excited I'm definitely excited I think watching him tonight in that environment I mean the Spurs have a chance of Victor Wiminyama is that guy I think they have a chance to really compete for a playing spot yeah what what wait wait go beat I said playing spot playing he said playing no nothing no not even the play in not even the play in well the play in I don't think they're playing for it but I think he's so good they're Portland's worse Houston's worse them that's well we don't know we don't know what New Orleans is going to look like New Orleans you'd like Memphis could be weird we don't know yeah they're not making the play I mean let's make a friendly wager right now it's I think it's I think it's Memphis San Antonio and we're doing it we're doing it yeah Loser got sons warriors I don't think they want to make I like the pelicans well they may not but I I don't think that they're going to bring this kid in and then all this I think they're going to make a try for it it can be listen it can be both he can be on men's restriction and try to still make the playoffs with they grew are we expecting monster minute restrictions because they said so far no we're not necessarily going to do that I think so because I think I'm not going to go on the postseason and sure if they get off to a magical start and somehow this happens boost them up but this is a long play with this kid that their whole organization their future is based around that do right there so why why rush it when you don't really have a championship team this year I want to ask you to this specifically because I'm hearing players both former and active talk about this he doesn't speak in hyperbole he's excited to watch him play is this when's the last time you saw this he's a unicorn I've never seen some of the things that he's done on the basketball court so every time I watch him it's a new experience for me something that I've never seen before so I'm excited to see the growth of his game and see what happens you know what is when someone's different like Zion's athleticism was different I'm super hyped that we've never really seen at that clip so yeah it's a unicorn so it's fun it's exciting I'm going to watch a lot of Spurs games this year because of him this makes me happy mix two of you guys I'm going to tune in I'm going to tune in I'm going to damn it Lou season hasn't even started guess what panic button already being hit that's next run it back how dare you Lou panic button time we're changing the topics look season's not started for a lot of people right but the off season doesn't leave some of us with a good feeling about what should be happening so we're going to start with people who need to hit the panic button already and we're looking at you Miami Heat this is an obvious one they were supposed to do so much during the off season they did absolutely nothing it was it was looking to be great they didn't get dame they didn't get deal should heat fans be hitting the panic button I'm yes but you know not fully but yes because everyone else it seems like the Celtics the Bucks they took this huge step right and the Miami Heat have this glorious year last year they go on this run everyone is talking about Jimmy Butler and playoff and then for whatever reason they lose Gabe Vinson they lose Max Truce and they don't make any drastic changes to a team that didn't win it all last year so yeah I'm panicking a little bit just because it seems like there's now a huge gap between them and the top of the east but then the reason I'm not is because they are the heat and they are that culture and they do play the right way and they're going to be there like they're still going to get I still don't want to play them in the postseason they're the poster child for that yeah like I don't want to play them first round I'm not panicking Miami always crashes the party they always crash the party they always find a way in and look speaking of duos Jimmy and Bam should be enough for them to compete at a high level you know those are all star caliber guys they get paid like it they play like it and like I said they always put themselves in a position to get alright we got another one I'm going to panic on this one so Memphis Grizzlies you don't have John Moran for 25 games for sure panic we're all done 25 games without one of your better players and no Stephen Adams yeah that's tough but yet the Spurs aren't going to make the play in I'm going to play devil's advocate here I'm going to you're putting Memphis above the Spurs regardless absolutely yes I think if John Moran was suspended but here's the thing 25 games it's not like it's not a week it's not it's not too this is a huge chunk that could put them out of the postseason but with that being said John Moran is John Moran and he is going to be ready to go when it comes and I'm hopeful that he changed I'm hopeful that he grew up but on the court there's no questions about him he is a bonafide star and with 25 games I'm not good at math I'm sure when he was out last season I know they've lost a few pieces but they were able to kind of keep it afloat without him so they got to do it again and they I mean they lost Dylan Brooks they added some other pieces but yeah this team they still have Jaren Jackson they still have Desmond Bain who's one of the better shooters in the league so they still have the pieces to go out there and kind of tread water until he gets back to the bottom half of the playoffs and then someone's going to have to play them fully loaded with John Morant and that is going to be no good what's the latest on him as far as I mean we obviously haven't seen him in quite some time what kind of off season was he looking at yeah I mean I think Adam Silver even talked about it last night counseling working with the league trying to make sure he stays on track for a return after that 25 game suspension but that's why your Memphis you go out and you go get Marcus Smart John Morant and then the meet and then once John Morant's back you can play the two in the back court together I forgot Marcus Smart was there yeah definitely I was hoping you would always forget that and that the world would forget that Marcus Smart he is also the definition of a grit and grime Memphis grizzy like he is he's what Dylan Brooks wanted to be exactly you know what that's a perfect way to put it he's what Dylan Brooks wanted to be yeah so it is it's hell of an upgrade to do it it's fun all right so Sixers I mean we had the live breaking news earlier from Shoms that Harden is officially he's there he's present he's there but he's there but but this is a panic button Sitch I mean you're not gonna have James I mean it's he's going back to Philadelphia with the mindset of he's gonna restart his ramp up process now how long that ramp up is going to be you know only James Harden only the Sixers medical staff they know how long that ramp up will be in the past but I think when you're James Harden what he meant to that team I think he averaged 21 points 11 assists led the league in assists this is this guy's not in your lineup tomorrow which I don't expect him to be he's not expected to play tomorrow I personally don't expect him to play anytime soon this is a guy that's been has done one five on five in a month that doesn't sound like a guy that's ready to play now but I mean come on without him in the lineup he's just about basketball nope one time he hijacked it it's been no but it's been years like this it's been years whether it's something with Doc or something with Joelle or James been sent it's always something that has nothing to do with how they play yeah it's it's panic at the disco Michelle it is panic he's if he's ramping up right now it's ramping up for another team he's not playing there I think that the bridge is burnt like he's not going back there and it's going to be a huge on us on Joelle Tyrese Maxie these other guys to kind of carry that load while he's out because I can't see him playing another game Philly I love that ramping up on day two of your new job is really a it's a good look it's a really good look I'm doing I'm doing this is my ramp coming up it's officially now the time where we give picks because we are really good at it when run it back returns what was our streak last year run it back run it back run it back NBA season there's no better place to get in on the action than Fandle because right now Fandle's hooking up all customers with three months of NBA league pass when you place a $5 bet on the NBA it doesn't matter if you're new to Fandle or already have an account everyone can watch and bet the action live with number one sportsbook it's prop party time y'all Chandler you're gonna take it away for us first we have yeah I got the Celtics in the garden minus three and a half I feel like that's a really low spread I feel like the Celtics are really good next who knows I don't like that one but go on understood minus three and a half I think they're gonna win by four and I got the win be over again I think this is rather low I think this is Jordan pool over 24-5 love it I don't even know who they play I know he's going to get 25 I like that doesn't pay great unless you put some real money on the line for that and I like Detroit money line I'm against Miami tonight in Miami I like this I like this I also went with points because it felt low and maybe it's just a day one type stitch but Scoot Henderson over 13 and a half and Kawhi Leonard get to see him at least one day 23 and a half points the over on both I'm optimistic about these and today it's a week of birthdays here at run it back Monday, Wednesday, Friday so today is Chandler's birthday I got you a special cake cha cha cha and by the way yesterday was Michelle's and Fridays is Lou Wills it's technically one of my extra cakes happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday guys to the big three see you guys tomorrow Kawhi I'm old smell it how old are you 48 run it back run it up run it back run it back run it up