 What's the word y'all? The NBA season's not even a week old and I am absolutely hooked. We've had Ja Meran go for 49. Dame is back. He gave us two back to back 40 pieces. We've had game winners. We've had over times. We've had everything, man. And one of the reasons I really love the game of basketball and I guess sports in general, this is the case. It's extremely, extremely unpredictable. Like yeah, we've had seasons where we knew it was gonna be calves and warriors in the finals, but we still watch all 82 games in the other 2018s because on a day-to-day basis, this sport is unpredictable. So unpredictable that the Utah Jazz traded one of the greatest defensive centers of all time, a future NBA Hall of Famer and a one-man engine on the offensive side of the ball and got back draft picks and scraps. And they are one of the last undefeated teams left this season. Everybody raved, including me, about the 76ers off season. This is the year for them to be a contender. James Harden took a pay cut. He looked slimmer. Joel and Beat is back-to-back runner-up for MVP. They don't have a win. The Lakers have Anthony Davis and LeBron James and have not cracked the win column. I'm sorry, Portland Treblazer fans. You also are undefeated. You know what I'm saying? Dave is back. You are also undefeated. I mean, one of the last teams left, that is not something to sneeze at. And listen, I wasn't a believer and I'll be honest with you, Treblazer fans, don't be mad, I'm still not a believer. I need a bigger sample size. But if you do remember my video where I was trying to predict the Western Conference standings, actually, let's just play it. So listen to a slightly younger me try to predict the Western Conference standings. Listen to what I said about Portland. But their depth is questionable and I think overall, their defense is gonna be questionable. I'm put important at 11 and I don't feel good about it. I don't feel good about it. This right here might be the thing that bites me the most because Dave is such a monster that I can see him just carrying his team to one of the topper and spots. But again, somebody has to end up there and I'm saying- And he's in the process of potentially carrying them to one of those top-end teams. I'm done with the Sacramento Kingsborough. Every single season, these boys convinced me that this is gonna be the year where they break out and make a play in or whatever. They've looked terrible. They gave up a million points in the first half today and I cut the game off and eventually they came back to almost tie it. They lost. They haven't got a win. But anyway, shout to Portland. I'm gonna say I still don't believe it too much because out of the three games, Dame had to go supernova and two of them for them to barely edge out the win. But just give it more time, cheer our Blazor fans and maybe it'll make me a believer. But shout out to them. I wanna shout out for the Lakers though. During the thumbnail, y'all know we had to talk about it because it is the trending top in the basketball, which is weird. Boy, I guess it's not. The Lakers are the biggest market in basketball and they have Anthony Davis and LeBron James. So of course, them starting off 0-3. They could have been 3-0 and it still would be the trending topic. But let's talk about it. I'm tired of giving this team the benefit of the doubt. I don't even know why I did it. Well, I know why I did it. I did it because LeBron James and Anthony Davis are on the court together, on the team together. And in recent history, they won a championship not too far ago. I know the roster's different. But even last year, when they missed the playoffs, when Anthony Davis and LeBron played together, they were a solid team. So I gave them the benefit of the doubt and to the first three games, this could not be any worse. Actually, that's not true because one of the positive things about the Lakers season so far is their defense has been pretty damn good. Small sample size, but their second in defensive rating so far this season, we probably shouldn't even be using those numbers because it's only three games to the season. But the eye test is telling me that their defense look extremely improved compared to last season where it was dreadful. So that's a plus. The bad side is you kind of got rid of every single shooter that was there for you last season. And now in the words of LeBron James, you can't throw a penny into the ocean. And that's no exaggeration because me and my homie Mike was watching this game together. He is a Laker fan. And I think in the third quarter, the Lakers hit like three threes or something like that. And you would have thought that he had Steph Curry on his roster. He was so damn happy about those three threes, but through the first two games, they couldn't do that. I mean, through the first three games of the season, they are shooting a whopping 21% from three as a team and they are tempting the seventh most in all the basketball. So they're taking a ton of three pointers and missing every single one of them. It's so bad that when we get to the crunch time of their Portland Trailblazer game, of the Clippers games, teams are legitimately just packing the paint. There was moments in this game where use of Nurk is decided. He didn't want to contest nothing. And then when we got down to the stretch after Darvaham put Russell Westbrook back into the game, we go talk about that. Use of Nurk has had the Russell Westbrook assignment and he didn't move. In the game before that versus the Clippers, Zubas had the Russell Westbrook assignment down the stretch and he didn't move. I hate it, man. I hate it for Russ, man, because he's a player that I'm rooting for heavily because I honestly think he's going through a lot. Yeah, he's been bad on the court, but he is also going through a lot whether it be the media, the fan reception. Like I was at the Lakers Clippers game and whenever he touched the ball, the fans were screaming, pass it, pass it, don't shoot. That has to take a toll on a player, but specifically a player that just a few years ago had months where he was averaging like 30, 10 and 10. That's not too far away from what he is now. Hey look, I just remembered that bro took a jump shot while up in the game with like 30 seconds to go early in the clock. And he said that he was doing it for a two-for-one where they were winning. Like, what is? Let's get back. But then again, things like this are true. Russell Westbrook has shot four for 26 that is 15% in the last two games. That is tied for the worst field goal percentage over any two games spanned by a Laker player in the last 50 years. He tied himself from earlier this year in January. That is crazy. And this Photoshop right here is great because Victor Wabaniam and Appellicans jersey, like why is that relevant? Well, because the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis and in that trade, there is a pick right swap, meaning that the Pellicans can see what the Lakers are doing and get around a lot of the Lakers missed the playoffs and say, that's my pick. And that pick could end up, oh man, oh man, oh man. I'm still confusing Rob Polinka. I know he won a championship a few years ago, but the fact that he got an extension after last year is terrible roster is insane to me because he didn't make it any better. You know what I'm saying? They have the worst three through 10 in all of basketball for any team that's not trying to actively tank. And when you have LeBron, James and Anthony Davis, you're not trying to actively tank. Well, you don't have your own first round pick. There is no active tanking. They have the worst supporting cast in basketball. And one of the realizations I had the other day when I was at one of their games is that, man, we're really about to watch, potentially watch the last couple of years of LeBron's career and he won't even be in contention for a four-ring. It's sad to even think aloud because he's always thought the course of his career, he's always been on a team that had a chance. This team as currently constructed has a 0% chance of making a run. They might not even have a chance to make playoffs. So I can understand the frustration and then being only three right now, I mean, boy, oh boy, they have to, they have to figure something out because again, you have an old LeBron, but he's still great. And a guy in Anthony Davis who should be at this point in time going into his prime and that's pretty much it. They got back Troy Brown Jr. today and they decide to throw him in the fire and like that was about to be the savior of the season. I watched Troy Brown Jr. last season. Expectations should not even be to get playing time, but he will probably be a rotational player on the team. So, I mean, bright side again, the defense is looking good, but I can't even say to myself, eventually the jump shooting will come around because they don't have people that are known to be jump shooters. Some teams in basketball right now are struggling to shoot the ball. Trey Young is struggling to shoot the ball through the first three games of the season, but one thing I know is that Trey Young, throughout the course of his career, has been a plus and a good shooter. So nobody else in this team that's really known to do that for the Lakers. So I don't have any hope that things will get a lot better. And I don't expect them to shoot 22% for the season from three, but it's not gonna be good and they won't be good. But the jazz, bro, the jazz, I cannot believe the story this is. I'm kind of mad at them. I'm being honest with you. I'm kind of mad at them. The fact that they're doing this for the history games, these three games might not matter if they go on a million game loser street. Tomorrow they play against the Houston Rockets and they have a chance to go for no, but something tells me they won't. They beat the nuggets, the wolves and the pelicans now. Those are three widely seen playoff teams they beat and they've got to go against a team that people assume is not gonna be a playoff team in the Houston Rockets. Watch them lose. Watch them lose. The Rockets ain't won a game. Watch them lose that one. And people are wondering how, how the heck are the Utah Jazz 3 and 0? This ragtag group of players. Oh, I was supposed to change into this shirt for this video. It is a throwback jazz shirt. Too bad. I'm repping the second worst three point shooting team in basketball right here behind the, behind the Lakers. That's the bulls right now. It's been great. One thing that I noticed when I'm watching the Utah Jazz, I'm gonna be honest, I didn't watch the first game. I had no interest. I thought this was about to be a team that was gonna be unwatchable. But when I got to game number two, I got into the second half of that one. I was like, oh, this team actually has a lot of heart and a lot of shot making. This man, Jordan Clarkson, did the first couple of games of the season. Like eventually, I'm assuming that the Utah Jazz are gonna decide to move on from him because they be crazy. Not to, he's playing himself into worth the first round pick. And if you remember before the, the debt or before the Bogdanovist trade, it came out that they wanted a first round pick from Mike Conley. They wanted a first round pick for Jordan Clarkson and Bogdanovist. And then we got to the trade, the Bogdanovist trade. They didn't get a first round pick, but they got something better. That was Kelly Olenek. But like they probably was filled in calls about Jordan Clarkson and nobody wanted to give them a first away. He is super right now. He will be worth a late first round if for sure, but Laurie marketing and it's been impressive. Now, Laurie's been my boy since he, he was drafted seventh overall and with the pick that was from the Jimmy Butler trade, he has been my boy. And I've always had hope from him. I hate the Bulls fans that, that hate him and Wendell Carter just because they're doing better in their new places. In reality, if they stayed in Chicago, they probably wouldn't be able to hit the places they are now. I do hate basically what we got when we traded those two players away, you know? What do we have from the Laurie marketing trade? Derek Jones, Jr. That was the trade, but Laurie marketing said that he wanted out. Anyway, no bullstalk. He is really hitting the next step. And part of that legitimately is having opportunities. He's put in the role that he plays with and Feeble basketball, that he's played with the Olympics where he is the number one guy on the Finnish team. And now right now he's kind of the number one and two ish depending on what you think about him and Jordan Clarkson player on the Utah Jazz. And he's been damn efficient. And I love it man, he's young. He's improving every single season and he has a lifetime fan in me because I watched him throughout the wee years of his NBA career and I know he can hoop and he's putting that on full display. These guys are running people off the three point line. They are not allowing any open jump shots. And that's kind of the opposite of what the 76ers are doing, which we'll talk about in a second. Briefly, this team is running people off the three point line. Will Hardy has a defensive identity already, which is crazy when you don't have necessarily great defensive players in your team. We talked about the team that started Kelly O'Lennick, Laurie Margaret and Jordan Clarkson. They're running people off the three point line while subsequently getting a lot of steals in the process. And outside of Jordan Clarkson, because you know, he's Jordan Clarkson. They are sharing the hell out of the ball. It just feels like they know there is no one so everybody can get it. If you open, I'll swing it to you. You know what I'm saying? Kelly O'Lennick got new superpowers, bro. He got new superpowers. That game went today was rough. And yeah, I know they beat a team that had Zion injured and Brandon Ingrams out with a concussion, but a win is a win at the end of the day. And the Utah Jazz are a watchable team, at least right now in the season. So I'm excited for them and their fans, but I would want to flip the switch to go the opposite direction sooner rather than later because you know, let's talk about another winless team in the Philadelphia 76ers. Now I gave them the benefit of the doubt to the first two because they played against the Bucks and the Celtics, who a lot of people deemed to be real life contenders. One of those two teams could potentially win a championship and I would not be surprised. And then they got to game number three on their home court and when it gets to San Antonio Spurs, a team that traded the John Tay Murray for strictly draft capital because they wanted to get Victor Wabaniyama. Let's be honest. They traded for strictly draft capital and did not add anybody to their roster of subsequent value other than some draft pitch, right? They lost that game. And not only did they just lose, they got booed off their home court because Philly fans are crazy in the good way. Shout out to the Phillies, by the way. World Series versus the Astros should be fun. I'm watching every single game. Whom I rooted for, maybe the Phillies because it's kind of the underdog story. The Astros kind of do this with Dusty and I'm looking at them right now. They just clinched it. They just beat the Yankees. Dusty always is wearing his gloves. Shout out to him for being safe. Anyway, the 76er 0-3 after being booed off their home court after going against a team that is trying to actively lose games. First of all, Spurs fans, I mentioned in my last video that I haven't been able to watch you too much. I watched y'all today and I'm impressed. I'm gonna apologize because I have these preconceived notions about some rosters based on the names that are on them and I don't really give those rosters a chance in the Spurs and one of those teams. I'm not doing that anymore. I said earlier in the off-season that people are expecting to kill the Johnson jump and I expected the Devon Vassil jump. Yesterday's game, you see everything that you need to see about Devon Vassil and if he could consistently do that, that is a dub for them. I really like Jeremy Sohan, even though he can't score the basketball, the NBA level just yet. I think his range defensively is going to be crazy in the few years. I mean, it's kind of crazy right now, but as soon as he learns the NBA game more, he's going to be up there. And then Yacca Pertle. You cannot tell me they can't get a first round pick for Yacca Pertle at the deadline this year. So anyway shout out to the Spurs. Y'all get more viewing time and we're gonna talk about some more, but we need to talk about the 76ers because so far the defense is something that has struggled. I mentioned how the Utah Jazz are running everybody off the three point line and not allowing people to get open threes. The 76ers are basically leaving people open and that's not a great recipe. It's not a great recipe, especially when you're going to get teams that have good shooting. I guess the Spurs are necessarily a team that has great shooting, but they did in that game and the Boston Celts is dead in their game. And I can't even say the Bucks did because that game was like 87 to 82, it felt like, but they are not getting people off the three point line. And I'm already seeing 76er fans wanting the head of Doc Rivers. I do believe the Doc Rivers is on a extreme, extreme hot seat. I do think it is still too early though. If they open up the season, 0-4 or 0-5, then maybe you do that. You make that call. Where's Mike Dantoni? Where's Mike Dantoni right now? Because I think that is the next thing. Because that's what they're doing. That's what Dale is doing. He's building his previous Rockets teams. And I'm going to bring you a tweet by the great Nikias Duncan. Shout out to him, a great Twitter follower and a great podcast. Again, this is Nikias Duncan, NikiasNBA on Twitter. These are the touches of the time after the James Harden Trey. Remember, the James Harden Trey happened halfway through the season. And you try to figure out how to integrate a guy like James Harden. As you can see, he got slightly more touches than Joel and Bede, about 22 more touches than Tyrese Maxey. No big deal, he's James Harden. This is what it looks like to the first three games of the season. This is what it looks like now. James Harden's touches are 30 more than Joel and Bede right now through the first three games. 30 more than the second guy, Tyrese Maxey. And again, we're talking about Joel and Bede at the end of the day. And James Harden and this team are kind of looking very similar to some of the other James Harden teams, but now they have an elite level center. And it's weird. Cause that's not, I don't think that's how this team should be playing because I don't think that's how the personnel is. Like I still do believe that the ball should be played through Joel and Bede's hands considering he's one of the most dominant centers in basketball. So that's just something that should be in the back of mind as we continue to watch the 76ers. Can we somehow balance this out? Because right now they look, they look bad. And yes, James, through the two of the first three games have looked elite, elite. It hasn't ended with a win. So I don't know. Again, this is very small sample size when we talk about all of these things, but these are the things that are on my mind for this season. I think that's why we wrap up and we'll be back in another day to talk more hoops. I appreciate you.