 The NBA season tips off in less than 48 hours. Lots to discuss. So let's run it back. Welcome to run it back on FanDuelTV. So the NBA season is right around. We've got angles. We've got storylines. We've got top insider information. And for all of that, let me introduce you to my new family, guys. It's our first day of school. This is exciting. We're going to get right to it every single day. We're going to be joined by stadium insider, Shamsherania Waves, nine-year NBA vet, Chandler Parsons, Double Waves, and host of the Etc. with Kevin Durant. It's Mr. Eddie Gonzalez. And I would be, well, I'd be a jerk if I didn't say A, congratulations to Chandler Parsons, who literally got married what, yesterday? And is joining us? That's hardcore. That's dedication right there, Chandler. Look at this. Love it. Is that the actual dude with sign? That's awesome. Oh, come on. It's like the most perfect setting. Well done, sir. Well done. And thank you for, I know it's like a crazy time to start things off. Your honeymoon kicks off tomorrow. He'll be joining us from beautiful locales around the world. But it's a lot. NBA season starts literally Tuesday. That's tomorrow. And we're going to get things started right away with the Warriors because that has just been the gift that keeps on giving in terms of storylines. And the latest, greatest part of all of it is Jordan Poole got paid, got the bag, as the kids say. The biggest takeaway from all of that, Chandler, is what? I think it's that they don't want to, they want to extend this era of their dominance. They are just, they kind of picked their guide. They didn't create guides. They did a gerand raise when that was floating around. And they're seeing like they're playing long game. This isn't a Poole's last dance thing where they're winning it and tearing it all down. I think they want to continue. And this kind of shows their, you know, their hedging their bed a little bit with Clay's injuries and having Jordan Poole this young aggressive score. He's very entertaining. And it's just kind of to me, putting the drama of last week with him and Draymond, you know, in the past. And the only uncertainty now is I don't know what this means for Draymond and Clay. Well, yeah, we're going to have to get to all that. And funny because we don't mention Clay as much as Draymond and what the future holds for both of them. But Eddie, I want to ask you, do you think this extension would be as, as lovely as it has turned out to be if it had not been for the punch or around the world last week? Well, Jordan earned that extension on the court, the actual game court, not the practice court, but yeah, I mean, it makes, it makes the timing a little funny, but you got him under the max for what he would have got. He's played better than just about everybody in this drive class. You have to resign him. He's the future of that team in many ways. Even Steve Kerr was talking this week about how he wants him to focus on the defensive end as well, because he wants to play him 30, 35 minutes a game when he can. So I think he's getting that bag either way. But yeah, if I'm his agent, I'm at the table saying how about an extra two million for our troubles, troubles for my, for my troubles. Shams, look, these contract extensions, these negotiations, they are big, big things. There's a lot of money, a lot of agents, a lot of lawyers involved. How far back has this been in the works? It's been a minute. It's, it's gone on a while. I mean, the fact that Jordan, Paul, Andrew Wiggins have the same representation, that made it easier for the lawyers in a lot of ways to get a deal done. But I would just look at it like this, like bigger picture, this results business. I think it's easy to say now that this could be the end of the way that I've heard it is if Draymond Green does have a big year this year, and if they do win, it's going to make for a very tough decision. And Wiggins signed a very team friendly contract that the four years, $109 million deal, he could have made in excess of $35 million on the open market is what executives were telling me. So he signed for just over $27 million a year. That is in a lot of executives eyes, a very tradeable deal. And so he took a pay cut to stay. There's no question. There is some value in Andrew Wiggins staying with the Warriors. He could have gone to probably other teams that aren't as successful, bad teams next off season. But he ended up staying with the Warriors. He likes what they built. But listen, if the Warriors struggle this year and the production isn't there from Draymond Green, I would expect Bob Myers, Draymond Green's agent, Rich Paul to start working to see if there is a trade avenue possible. But until then, I think is this going to be about how this team looks, it's going to be results business. If they win it again, I do think Joe Laker was going to try to keep Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Clay Thompson around. But we'll see. Because I can't imagine Draymond would want to leave. And I don't know unless things go completely awry because that punch was obviously a moment. I know both sides have said they're over it. Jordan Poole has finally addressed it publicly. He said he apologized. Now we're just all about winning championships. But really, the more I think about being punched in the face, the more I realize that's not something I don't think I could ever get over. Are they really over it, Chandler? I mean, can they be? I mean, listen, I think it's one thing if the video didn't come out. But I think that's something now that just just the overall embarrassment that comes with that. You've got to see this guy every single day. You're going to be heckled by every single road game moving forward. It was embarrassing. It is what it is. But I think they're, you know, they lessen the blow a little bit by giving them $140 million and considering it a huge deal. But yeah, I don't get over that so quickly. I really don't. So we've heard both sides now from retired guys, from active guys. Either this happens all the time or it does not happen at all. So from your personal experience, have you ever seen a moment like that in practice anywhere? I've seen some mixed ups, you know, some, some, you know, talking and some pushing. And one time I saw a fight where there were actual punches thrown. And this into this case, I don't know exactly what was said. I wasn't there. I don't know the buildup. But I've never seen a dude drop a dude like that. No. No, do drop in another dude is probably not best for team morale, but a guy that's, we look to, to lead everybody and who's been sort of quiet as far as we're concerned. But that's because this is monopolized. Everything is Steph. So Shams, what has his role been in all of this drama preseason? Steph Curry has been in the middle of everything. When you, when you look at the Jordan pool situation, his communication with Jordan pool, from what I'm told Steph Curry was really a guy that was consoling Jordan pool during that situation. Telling him, we have your back. This was not acceptable behavior by J. Mon Green. And I think Steph Curry has had J. Mon Green's back always. Whenever there's been any issue that's arisen, whether it's his situation with Steve Kerr several years ago, his issue with Kevin Durant, you know, those, those two guys are attached at the hip. J. Mon Green is a vocal leader. Steph Curry is through the face of the franchise. But I think Steph Curry really had to play over time. And he, he mended a lot of relationships. And now we'll see if this team can, can re-energize themselves or refocus and really focus on the court and not on, on kind of off the court stuff. All right. Time to put ourselves in the positions of Bob Meyer and everybody else there. Bob Meyer's of course, being in charge of everybody. Draymond or pool, Eddie, who is more important to the team? I think going forward, you have to look at the age and the gap there. How could you not pick Jordan pool in that sense? Yes. Dreymon Green is integral to everything they've done the last decade, but they're looking at the next decade. Steph is 33. You know, they have to plan for after that. And yeah, he's still one of the best players in the league, but they want to continue to keep winning. They don't want this to end as Steph ages and they want to pass that baton. So right now it's Jordan pool at that price with Dreymon looking at a new contract soon as well. You have to gauge exactly what you're going to pay him. He has an option of $27 million for next year. Another thing you have to gauge in their massive tax bill, they had to put all that together. That's why the point about Andrew Wiggins being so tradable is very interesting because there's no shortage of teams that are going to want a big wing who can defend everybody in the league and who can give you 25 points when needed in a finals game. So to me, that might be the more tradable piece than anything, but if you're picking poor Dreymon, yeah, you got to go with Jordan pool right now. So Dreymon is learning what every woman in television knows that there's always someone younger and hotter. It's just coming right behind you. And it's not a great feeling. I get it. Chandler, do you agree? Is this hands down? It's Jordan pool at this point. Yeah. I mean, if you look over the years though, that Warriors team, they struggle without Dreymon Green and he has been a critical, critical piece. He brings a lot of things. I do think he's been blessed with the perfect situation playing with those guys the last 10 years. But yeah, moving forward with the history of Clay's injuries with Steph's injuries and Steph getting older. I think you got to go with the younger scoring guard that's going to put up those 30, 40 point games in the playoffs and kind of turn into that go to guy when those other two guys are finally done. Okay, Shams, you mentioned the possibility of a trade and that obviously opens up rumors galore. One of those was Dreymon heading south to the Lakers and he validity to that. I mean, the Lakers will have 35 million in cap space next summer. So Dreymon Green does out they've come home. I don't think we'll tell. I think there's always been, you know, Bron James, Dreymon Green, we know the relationship. What I would look at is Dreymon Green, I think he's getting a lot of slack right now, but I don't know. I don't, that Warriors team doesn't win last year without him. And I know he didn't have an amazing season, but he did play well in a couple of those playoff games. He guarded Nicola Joachim in the first round really better than anyone. So there's a lot of value. There's a lot of stuff that goes outside of just the stat sheet with Dreymon Green. And so only time we'll tell this is a results business. And if Dreymon Green is struggling this year, if the team is struggling, then that is something that we're going to be talking about moving forward. The drama, this is going to be must watch every night. Speaking of drama, the Lakers, I thought maybe after last year they would sort of head into this one with the clean head and kind of get above all the talk. But no, that's not where we are. And we've got Russell Westbrook. He came off the bench in the final preseason game and then injured his hamstring. Do we have any updates on his actual health so far? So Michelle, he is day to day, he's got a left hamstring injury. There is concern within the Lakers that he might make this season. But right now Russell Westbrook, within minutes of his first game coming off the bench, he suffered his hamstring injury. So that's really the role that Darvin Ham, the Lakers, had targeted for him. It's always been curious, will he accept that role coming off the bench? I mean, Chandler knows he's played multiple roles starting coming off the bench like Russell Westbrook's level, his stature. I think that was definitely not something that Russell Westbrook came into this training camp wanting to be. And would that work, Chandler? Do you, can you see a world in which Westbrook comes off the bench and it works? You know, it's an ego thing. I think it's going to, he's going to have to look himself in the mirror and look where he is right now in his career. And you know, you got to do it. I think if he wants to continue to play and then extend his career, this is something that he's got to understand that maybe he's not that, you know, MVP Russ anymore. And he could be really valuable on a second string leading that, you know, that unit. But yeah, it's tough, especially with a guy of him, former MVP multi-all star. That's a huge blow to the ego, but it's something that, you know, you know, he's got to decide on his own. There's a world where it works great as him spelling LeBron and playing a similar role in a driving kick offense and slashing in and getting to the rim how he wants and, you know, getting rebounds and running the court. I think it's the best role for this current team for him for sure, as they want to space the floor and they've loaded up on guards and wings. Again, yeah, we all question, is he willing to accept it? The funny part is he hasn't said that he's not. He's never really shown that he's not. We have to see it. He's in a tough spot to where he's been vilified by that team's fans and just put fans in general. But there's definitely a world where it works. And we see a little bit of old Russ, right? But we got to see it and he has to be healthy to do it. So hopefully we see it soon. You are right because there was a time when Carmelo Anthony would actually answer the question in post games. I'm Carmelo Anthony. I'm not a bench guy. I'm a starter. And then now look, he's kind of figured it out like inevitably somehow you have to evolve or the game just leaves you behind. But are they, I mean, we ended the entire season last year was are they going to trade Russ? Where would he go? Who would take him? Are we still there, Shoms? Is there still a chance that they trade Westbrook out of there? Yeah, for sure. There's a runway between now and February trade deadline where Russell Westbrook's name is going to continue to be a topic because he is on an expiring deal. The Lakers do have two first round draft picks that are available to be traded. And they were very close to moving Russell Westbrook and possibly two first round picks to the Pacers for Buddy Heel and Miles Turner before the start of training camp. They seriously debated it internally from what I was told. They ended up not pulling the trigger because they know that with those two first round picks that are well off in the future in 2027 and 2029, you want to make sure you go get star level players that you get really what you are paying for. They just did not equate Miles Turner and Buddy Heels to that level. But if this team doesn't get off to a great start, they struggle, you know, going into the midway point of the year, I think that's going to be a serious conversation. There is a runway now, whether it's the Pacers, there's going to be other teams. There always are teams that go from trying to win to rebuilding. And I think we're going to see that this year more than ever potentially. So I know that vocally Russell Westbrook hasn't said he's cool or not cool with coming off the bench, but we do have pieces of video that emerged from last week, both on the court and during the pregame intros. And this is our moment. We're not piling on, but let's just do some body language interpretation, shall we? Eddie, why don't we start with you? What exactly do we take away from what we're seeing in these videos? This video here is especially funny when you realize he started that game. So he was a part of that routine. He was announced. He was in that huddle at some point and when did his thing? Now Russ has come out to his credit and said, hey, I've always done this. I asked Kevin Durant. It's the same thing. Russ has kind of always did this thing. Everybody has a different way of getting ready for the game. Does it look crazy over here from the couch? Yeah. But apparently that's what he does. I don't know. Russ is a quirky guy. I definitely retweeted that video and got a little laugh out of that when I seen it though. That's for sure. But it's not the only moment, Chandler, because there was also something during the game. And look, I get it. Pat Bev, you either love him or you hate him. Hard to get over that. He's trying to huddle up the team. Let's do this. And again, Russ does not want any part of this, Chandler. So is this a problem? Again, this is kind of what Russ does, right? This is kind of his personality. But yeah, at some point, he's got to acknowledge that, you know, he's getting criticized for this. It doesn't look maybe it maybe he is, but it doesn't look that he's fully bought into everything they're doing and all the buzz around his name is usually negative. So I personally, I would just try and limit these viral videos like this and not let them keep happening. But like us are going to keep piling on and it's going to magnify everything. But yeah, I think it looks, I think it just, it looks back and it shows that he's not fully bought in. It's just like, again, another negative headline for the Lakers and for Russ Westbrook. Can I be a Maxis fan real quick? Why are we huddling before this inbound? Like, I know who I'm guarding. It's cool. Like, I kind of feel Russ and that's it. Chandler, are we having in-depth conversations as we huddle before every dough? No, again, that could be Pat Beverly talking about guarding. That could just be, you know, it's just sort of like a team or out thing. I don't think it's too important. No, I don't think. Can also kill us like Russ is Russ, Beverly's Beverly. Sometimes I think if you don't care for Pat Beverly's antics, they're a little bit dramatic and overboard as we saw in the playoff last year. So, yeah, I could see this be a rubbing of the wrong way with egos, but it's, again, must watch. Like if you love drama with your basketball, these are teams that you're going to want to pay attention to. And we're not just going to limit that to the Western conference because things in the East are also going to get interesting. And the Celtics are part of that. They obviously had a tumultuous offseason. They're coached being suspended for an entire year. Do we have high expectations? I know Vegas does, but do we? Chandler, you first. 1000%. I think after the year they had last year, I think it's championship expectations. And, again, you look at what they added with Malcolm Brogdon, just a floor general, a very, very solid point guard of that, like Blake Griffin. And really just another year of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown getting better and getting closer to their prime and really becoming star players, guys like Grant Williams. And I think, you know, obviously it wasn't ideal with the drama with the coach, but I think these guys, the talent, I think it's championship expectations is here for the Celtics. And it's a 34-year-old Joe Missoula, Eddie. Do you think he'll be all right? This is an interesting situation to find himself. I think he will. And for this, for this reason, they're built a little bit like a football team, almost like a college football team, too. They have their system that they like, their president of basketball options, their former head coach, and they're running their stuff just the same as they would have with, with Emi Udoke there. So I think, yeah, they'll be fine in that sense. Plus they have a ton of talent. At the end of the day, the talent's going to win out. They had those two-star wings, and it's a wing league. So, yeah, I think they'll be fine. The problem for them is the Bucks are coming back. The Sixers are going to get a little better. The Nets probably should be better. And so it's just going to be a little tougher out there. Atlanta is a dark course. So that's what they have to contend with, but they'll be a great team. They'll be fine, as long as they stay healthy. Sean, does you hear any grumblings as far as what happened in the off-season and how it's affected anybody or if at all? I think the players were in a state of shock. When that Emi Udoka situation first came out, it was a state of, I mean, they were in a state of survival in a lot of ways because they didn't know what was going on. They had built up this team to contention Marcus Smart, Jalen Braun, Jason Tatum. They had all been together for all these years, finally got to the pinnacle. And then this happens with the coach that they all love and respect. But I do think this team, like Eddie said, talent will win out. But when I look at it from the Emi Udoka perspective, he's still technically under contract. I'm told he got half of the salary for this upcoming year. So he's not going to be suspended without pay this year. He's going to get 1.8 million roughly. Him staying around, lingering around, I think leaves the door open. If this team does struggle, if they get off to a tough start or if they lose in the first or second round, if they don't have the finish that they want in the championship or bus type of mentality, could they bring Emi Udoka back next summer? I think those are all questions that are to be determined. That's why you saw Whitgrove Spec, the owner, come out and say that we're not going to make decisions probably until next summer. They want to see how this team looks under Joe Missoula. But right now, Joe Missoula is a Brad Stevens favorite. He's got all the tools from a talent perspective than most first year head coaches have, Michelle. Look, it's a very interesting suspension. I don't believe I remember a case like this specifically where this was done and then this was the punishment. Yeah, it's, yeah, it is. But is there a chance at all that he would be taken out of suspension early, or is that for sure a whole season done? No, it's going to be a full year suspension. I think the curiosity comes once, if they get eliminated in the first or second round, like this team has built up at least a conference final expectations, NBA finals, birth expectations. But that's why you are keeping the flexibility if you're the Celtics. And Yime Yudoka is a great coach. We saw that last year. So only time will tell. This is a great argument for people who say coaches are important versus those who say they aren't. We're about to find out exactly what all that means. But oh man, I love that argument. We've got a lot more show coming up, including some odds on favorites. Who's going to win everything plus long shots at snacks, all of it. Unrun it back. And by the way, on every conference call, Shams is on it. I'm going to take Shams. I'm going to Shams get it. See here. Oh, that is just awesome. Yeah, time for Shams scoop. And breaking news, Houston Rockets Guard, Kevin Porter Jr. agreed to a four-year 82 and a half million-dollar contract. Only the first season is fully guaranteed. So that just happened, Shams, while we're sitting here trying to, trying to do our very first show of all time. So what can you tell us about it? So this is Michelle, really like an NFL contract. Only the first year of this four-year 82.5 million-dollar deal is fully guaranteed. So the Rockets, if they so choose, can wave him at any point after the first year and not have to pay him. So this is a very unique contract. Josh Hart with the Pelican signed something similar last year, somewhere in the three-year 30 million-dollar range. But this is a big money deal for a starting point guard in the NBA. It's really unprecedented for this type of structure to be something that a guy like that would agree to. But Kevin Porter Jr. has been much more aligned throughout his career as well. Man, I would love to know the conversations between Porter and his agent and ultimately come into like the conclusion that we'll go ahead and sign it. Because that is a weird one, but it's not the only news. And anybody who's worth a darn in basketball is obviously looking to the Milwaukee Bucks to do great things this season. However, still know Chris Middleton. Do we have a timetable for his return? Sources tell me that Chris Middleton is expected to miss the first few weeks of the NBA's regular season coming up this week and for the next several weeks. And there is Michelle, though, confidence that Chris Middleton will be able to make a return to the floor before the month of November is out, possibly by mid to late month. He's been out since last year's playoff. He suffered a sprain MCL during their first round series against the Bulls and he had off season left wrist surgery. So the hope is that Chris Middleton will be back in the lineup at some point in November. That's a big one. Lamello Ball also with the injury bug, a sprained ankle. Is he going to be available for their home opener or for their opener? As of right now, it is not expected that Lamello Ball will be available for the opener. The Hornets are bracing from the mist, at least the next one to two weeks to start the NBA season. And hopefully he comes back, but they're not going to rush him back. This is a grade two ankle sprain that they're going to be very cautious with and monitor over the next couple of weeks, the next week. But this Hornets team is definitely a team to keep an eye on because depending on the way the season goes, they're already playing without Lamello Ball. They're playing without Miles Bridges for now. Could this team be an organization that starts to move toward a rebuild? There's the Victor Wimbenjama sweepstakes that we all know about. Could they move toward that if this team gets off to a rough start? I think we should just implement a drinking game now on our first day. Every time we say Wimbenjama, every time I say it incorrectly, just take a shot because it's going to be one of those kinds of seasons. And we're going to put a pin in that because we're going to bring the guys back in and talk about it. But on the piston side of things, you're saying that they're going to waive Kemba Walker. Kemba Walker is expected to be waived today. And he had agreed to a buyout, Michelle, back in June, $2.9 million, giving back to the pistons. But he didn't have a landing spot with a buyout. So they kept him on the roster. The buyout did not happen. And as of now, Walker, if he does enter fee agency via a wave, he's still going to be searching for a fee agency home. There's not a home yet for Kemba Walker. Chandler, I know, was in a similar situation, like most better players end up through doing the later stages of their NBA career. So I'm curious from his perspective, what it's like being a guy like Kemba Walker in his early to mid 30s that's dealing with this. Well, yeah, let's bring them back in and we'll start right there because that's a perfect spot for it, Chandler. What can you say about what Kemba's going through and sort of mentally how this part of your career plays out? It takes its toll. It's something that's very tough just to kind of grasp. You're still used to being a critical player on the team and competing and being the guy and whether injuries happen or whatever the situation is, it's tough and it can put you in a really, really dark place. So Kemba, I think, still has some left in the tank. And you've got to imagine he's going to sign on with the contender and it's a tough pill to swallow. You've got to be ready for it. It's a maturity thing, but it's not easy. And hopefully he can understand the business side of it and kind of move forward and still be a contributor for another team. I think it's easy to forget Kemba was an All-Star the 2020 season. That was how recently he was contributing in that level. Even the next season, he averaged almost 20 points a game. For fans like me, it's easy to sit there and go, hey, I'd love to be at the end of a bench getting fits off and sitting courtside. But he's a competitor. He wants to get out there and play. He knows he can help a team. It's just if you can't get healthy enough to practice or to play, what can you do? It'd be interesting to see where Kemba lands. He can be scoring punts off the bench for a lot of teams. I think it's similar to Isaiah Thomas where on the right night, Isaiah Thomas could help a team and in the right way. But he has to get that chance and he has to then optimize it when he gets it. I'm sorry. Did Eddie just refer to the realization that you're on the back nine as sitting in courtside seats? It's so optimistic. I'm like, it's so happy. Well done, sir. On the buck side, we'll go back up to Chris Middleton and the importance that he has to that team. Eddie, starting with you, are they capable of pulling off a championship run without him? Not without him. And we've seen that last year. They went seven games, seven tough games with the Celtics, but they eventually flamed out. They count on him so much for their late game offense. You absolutely need that. And Yanis is amazing, obviously. But the shot creation that Chris has and the mismatch he can become at that size, it just helps push them forward. They're going to need that in the playoffs for sure. That's why, hey, get them right now. We don't really need them in November. We need them in May. And that's looks like what they're doing. You agree, Chandler? This team could have been a finals team last year without Chris Middleton back in the lineup, right, Chandler? I think this team probably should have made the finals with him in the lineup. No doubt. And they think that they have championship expectations this year. And I think it's for them, it's getting home court advantage. I think you got to factor in at the time with Middleton out. You want to get them as soon as you can. But for them, I think Yanis is good enough in that nucleus of the chemistry they've had the last couple of years. They can get them through a regular season. If they get healthy, a top four plan in the playoffs, I think that should be the goal. And then I think anything can happen. But yeah, they definitely are going to need him healthy and ready to go to have a chance. So on the Lamello ball story, if I'm reading between the lines here, and I think I am, there's no real rush, right? Like, we're just going to let's just see what the season is. And I hate to start using the T word, but are they going to just start taking right off the bat? And if so, is that necessarily the wrong thing to do? And if you're on that team, Chandler, how do you digest any of this? If you're on that team with or without Lamello ball, you know, you're pretty much a bottom team in the East. The East has gotten better. I think they have a chance to kind of make that plan spot. But with or without them, I don't really see them having a chance. So I think they go slow with Lamello. I think why rush them back? Let's let them get healthy. And let's see how the season starts. There's a lot of teams that like, like we touched on earlier that think they have a chance. And then when they get off to a bad start, like the Chicago Bulls off to a bad start, that could be a team that I think could start tanking. And with the boot expiring and DeRozzo and only one more year, teams like that, that think they have a chance early on that doesn't go as planned. I think that's when you kind of hit the panic button go, but with Lamello and that team that roster, I don't think there's a rush to bring them back as with or without them. I don't think they're, you know, a contender. Michelle, this is kind of an interesting one guys, because like the Hornets aren't known to like want to tank because they have Michael Jordan there, Mitch Huffcheck. These are guys that I think have a history of trying to at least get in the eight seed or a plan. They've been to play in the last couple of years. I've gotten to smoke both years, but I think overall, this team's goal has always been to at least make the playoffs because in Charlotte, that's a good accomplishment. And so I don't think that they're going to like their mindset is going to be let's tank, but I think it's just going to be something where if Lamello ball comes along slowly isn't back on the court, this team struggles, it might just work out for them, but only again, only time will tell. Like we've been saying. My running joke is there should be about 20 teams tanking this year in shamelessly as well. I think they actually have an excuse to the fans will accept it. But the Hornets are kind of in that bunch, but some's is right. They've paid big money for a couple of their free agents. They have a mentality where they want to win games. They were, you know, in the play and they should be playing playoff games. They have a young star like Lamello, they're going to want to win games. But look, if this falls in your lap and you have a chance, it's not even just about Vic is either like, you know, Scoot is somebody who teams are going to want. There's, it's, it's a deep draft class this year. So it's their chance to kind of, you know, reload the coffers if they get the opportunity. But like tell me the same, like it might not even be up to them. They might just be a bad team in general. And it's like, Hey, embrace it, I guess. That's better to digest for Michael Jordan anyways, because I don't want to be the one that tells Michael Jordan like, wow, we're just lousy and we're going to keep it going. Shoms, I know you got stuff to do. I know you're a busy, busy man. Thank you so much. We'll see you tomorrow, but we are not done because, uh, yeah, season hasn't started, but we're going to tell you who's going to win the NBA championship market. And there they are. You're looking at them, the current championship odds for who's going to come out on top and win this whole big bad boy. And we're going to, we're going to do some Eastern conference today, the NBA championship. We'll probably do some Western tomorrow because, you know, we got a lot of time and it's all happening very, very quickly, but who's got the best chance? Who has no chance? And are there any under the radar teams that we should probably be paying a little bit of attention to? So right now as you're looking at it, the Bucks and the Celtics sitting up top, the odds on favorites to, uh, to come out of this thing, victorious. I mean, I have opinions on that, but that's just weird to me. Chandler, of those two teams, and I'm telling you, it's one of them. Who's got the better shot at winning it all? For me, it's the Bucks. Again, I think Middleton's health has a lot to do with it, but, uh, you know, many think Giannis is the best player in the world. I think with, with that core and what they've added, I think, um, you know, I think they have the best chance to, they've been there, you know, they went to game seven last year. Um, they feel like they should have been in it last year. Uh, I think to me, their best player Eddie, do you, do you agree? I mean, is it Bucks for you? Clearly? Yeah, I think a lot of people rightfully feel like this is the best team in the league. They felt like it last year. Chandler made a great point earlier. You know, they, they kind of bowed out at home court the last day of the season and ended up biting them. They lost a game seven on the road in Boston and obviously they had the injury concerns as well, but they, they have the best player in the league been according to many people and they have a ton of synergy. They have a ton of continuity there. Um, yeah, I mean, I think it's them. I think they're favored for the right reasons and it's just up to them now to stay healthy and make it happen. And like I said, we'll do some Western Conference tomorrow. We're not just ignoring the, the reigning champs. That would be weird and awkward, but uh, Eddie, the, we obviously we're going to you for the Nets. Uh, you're going to be our Brooklyn expert at all things. So we got KD Kyrie and Ben Simmons. We are finally going to get to see all of this come to fruition. They're at plus 900. Is there a shot they can bring home the hardware? Absolutely have a shot. I mean, you know, it's funny. Their first two preseason games at home and look a little shaking. I was like, ah, and again, these are preseason games. You can only bank so much on them and they play the books in Milwaukee and you see the remnants of what this defense can be. You see more motion in their office than they had last year and the easier shots these guys are getting. And you kind of understand why they're contenders. Yeah. Are they going to struggle to guard the biggest player in the game? Joel and B, of course, but when they can put out a front court that is Joel, Ben, excuse me, Nick Claxton, Ben and Kevin Durant, they have a ton of length and a ton of size and they can rebound. They can push them. They can push the ball. There's a ton of like over there. Is there a ton of question marks? Of course, of course, how could there not be on a team with Ben Simmons with Kyrie with you do a coach who for a lot of people is unproven in Steve Nash, but they got a lot of talent over there and you can see the remnants of what they could be. Chandler, do you agree? I mean, they're obviously neon giant question marks, which I think a lot of people are excited to see what it is. Do you expect the same thing or are you a little more cynical? No, no doubt. I'm with Eddie here. I think the star power they have is kind of crazy. Like if they figure it out and they're stride at their right time, yeah. I mean, we have Kevin Durant, Kyrie, or Ben on your team. I think you have a chance to win a championship regardless. And you add guys, I like what they did this off season, adding guys like Royce O'Neill and they said two of the best shooters in the league with Joe Harris and Seth Curry, TJ Warren. Like they have a deep roster and with that star power with Ben Simmons, who probably has the most to prove in all of the NBA. I like that. And that's a lot. No, no Harris for their opener, which is a bummer, but hopefully that sorts itself out quicker than slower. What's that? A lot of people are wondering, you know, about Ben's offense and yeah, there's reason to wonder about that, about just how aggressive he'll plan on being. But it's the defense that I think stands out and changes them as a team. They couldn't buy a stop last year against the Celtics. It's why they got swept. And it's a completely different roster in that sense now. And Royce is a great mention as well, because he just opens up further possibilities for them on that end. Those guys are going to get shots. That's just the nature of having Kyrie and Kevin Durant. But it's who they can stop really that changes things for me this year. Staying in the Eastern Conference. Joel and Bede, by the way, had the best weekend. He's at the Phillies game on Saturday. He's down on the field yesterday for the Eagles, just living his best life. His team's at plus 1600. What exactly needs to happen besides winning a bunch of games for this team to be able to really compete for a championship, Chandler? Yeah, I think it all just starts with Joel. I think he's, you know, an MVP candidate going into the season and James Harden. I think last year, you know, with the hamstring and, you know, being out of shape, I think James Harden like Ben Simmons has a lot to prove this year. And with the growth of Tyrese Maxie and what that can do offensively, I think that kind of relieves some pressure off James to be able to be that facilitator and get the big guy going and let Tyrese kind of do this thing. And then you had a guy like Jay Tiger who's used to playing with James, who is comfortable with who's the tough guy in the locker room. I still think to me, I think James and Joel are the best duo in the NBA when healthy. So yeah, I think they, I think they also have a great shot. Listen, the East is loaded this year. The East is going to be tough. So I think there's honestly four or five teams that could come out of the East. I look at Joel, he should be the most unstoppable player in the league and the most nights he is. And that alone is enough to carry them. We got to worry a little bit about the defensive side on a team that's going to play James Harden as much as they have to, that's going to play Tobias Harris, even Tyrese Maxie, who is athletic and can dial in when he wants to, but we haven't seen him do it for an entire series. PJ is a great addition on that end. And if they get some synergy there, they can, they can be really, really dangerous. And they're going to win a ton of regular season games. They might end up being the one seed. They're healthy now. They're getting healthier as they go on. But yeah, they're good. It's going to be tough for them keeping up with some of these offenses in the playoffs. But that's on them to kind of bite down and really commit to that end. And it starts, I think with James, but it also lands a lot on Tobias, who's going to have to guard a lot of these wings as well. They're dangerous. They're dangerous. They're as dangerous as any team in the league. I love that PJ is there now. I think that's a huge addition. So this, if you've ever dated anyone that's really, really moody, you can relate to what I'm about to ask, because you wake up each day and you don't know which version of that human you're going to get. And that's how I feel as an NBA fan with James Harden. So I ask you, which version of Harden are we expecting? I'm nervous. Chandler, you first. Yeah. And listen, I played with James and Houston for two years. And he's, you know, I've got dirt later in his career, but he's the best player I've ever played with. It's the off the court stuff. It's the mood swings. It's the, you know, willing to not practice, to not be fully bought into the team. I think he's a generational talent. I think he's one of the best scores this league has ever seen. It's your right though. He's got to be fully committed. He's got to be fully bought in. He's got to have no ill will with Joelle of who's getting the shots or Tyrese's, you know, Ryze. Everyone, they just have to be thinking at this point of his career, you know, championship robust and how can I put my team in the best situation to get there? And a lot goes into it. It's not just points and rebounds and assists. There's so much other things that go into that that we don't see in the locker room on the road that he's going to have to do and he's going to have to lead to get them there. Yeah. I've seen him here in Brooklyn a few weeks back in the preseason game. He looks like he's in great shape. My thing with James is who benefits more out of all the All-Stars, all the, you know, top players in the league from a title than him. It completely changes who he is in the eyes of a lot of fans and a lot of experts and so on. He's motivated. So I, I expect to see All-Star James, you know, maybe not MVP James. He's getting up there in age. He's, you know, had his share of injuries to his legs. But when I see him shoot mid-range jumpers in the preseason, I said, all right, we're going back. We're going back to early Houston and that's big for them. But I think Tyrese Maxey helps him a ton as well. Like he should be taking a leap himself. He can handle a lot of those ball handling duties. They can spell James a little bit. But yeah, I mean, he looks like he's in great shape. I've heard all summer about how great he looked in the gym and I'm ready to see it on court. All right. That's a good thing that you've been hearing about. I think this is the greatest moment right before the season starts is because everyone's starting on a fresh slate and it's fantastic. But as far as the Eastern Conference goes, are there any sleepers? We know who people think are going to win, but what about guys that we don't necessarily talk about that have a shot? Yeah. I mean, I think the two obvious sleepers are the Hawks and the Cavs. I think after that, kind of there's a drop off. And if I had to choose one of those two, I'm going with the Hawks. I think those guys have been together for a couple of years now. Tracy Starr, then you had a guy like Dejante Murray, John Collins. And one of my favorite low key players is Deandre Hunter with the defensive mindset, the shot making ability that he has. I think Atlanta, I think they stay healthy and they all mesh together and they add Dejante to that core that they already have. We're talking long shots. I would pick Atlanta Hawks. Okay. I think that's a good pick. Eddie? I think Chandler had the two teams, correct. You know, the Hawks were in the conference finals just a season ago, and they were really giving it a good run until Trey got hurt. So, yeah, I mean, I think there's absolutely a world where Dejante adds exactly what they need on the defensive end and it can help with some of the playmaking duties as well. He's a great young player. It's something I know. Michelle knows because she's been in San Antonio, but a lot of people are missing those guys. I'll realize how good he is on both ends of the court. To talk about the Cavs a bit, adding Donovan Mitchell to what they had last year, to what they have with their gigantic front court, to all that ground they're able to cover, they didn't have Collins section. So, essentially you're adding Donovan to that team that we saw get into the playoffs last year. There's a lot of hope out there. I mean, well, he looks like he's going to be a star. I don't buy the Chris Boss comparison. It's just yet myself because Chris Boss came into the league scoring 20 a game and had that offensive arsenal. But what he does on the defensive end, and he's, you know, that can be the anchor of a championship defense for sure. God, every time you guys mentioned another team in the East, you're right, Chandler. It is stacked. Like this is going to be fun. We still have some more MVP, rookie of the year, and maybe some players that are about to make huge leaps when we come back. Here we sit one day before the season kicks off and these are your MVP award odds. And Luca Duncic just sitting up top, all comfy, Joellen Bede, Yanis, Nikola Durant. I love the John Morance up here, by the way. That's probably one of my favorite ones on here. Jason Tatum, Steph Curry, rounding out the top eight. Of course, everybody else is on that same list. But Luca, not just on this list, but people I've talked to that he seems to be really the favorite for this award, Chandler. Can you see that happening? I love Luca. I really do. I think what I mean, but unfortunately, with what the Mavs did this off season after going to the conference finals, I think they took a step back. And so when we're talking about MVP, I think you gotta look at, you know, the best player of one of the best teams. And I just don't think Dallas will be one of the better teams in the Russian Chamber to believe this year. I don't see it. I think he's going to have a great year. I think he's going to put up huge numbers. He's going to be an all-star starter. But MVP for me, I think you've got to be, you know, at least a top four or five C and know it's happening before that or they weren't, but not very often. And so to me, I don't really see it, although I love him. I think he's a top three player. So well, you know what? Don't give me your pick yet because I want to see if Eddie agrees at all with Luca being top dog on this particular word. I get it in the sense of he's going to have great stats. He might average 30 and 11, you know, an eight or something. He might do that. But I agree with Chandler. I don't see that team winning enough games this year. You know, they took a little slight step back. They lost Jalen and, you know, we'll see. They might surprise us and Luca is great enough to carry them to enough wins. But yeah, I have, you know, the same concerns as Chandler. I mean, look, we've seen it before and it becomes a big argument as the season winds down about guys who are in the running, but have teams that maybe aren't as great as other teams. And it has happened. But if it's not Luca, then Chandler, who do you think wins this? I think it's coming down to Giannis and Joao. And I personally think he'll be honest. I think he's the safest team. I think he's going to carry the load even more than he already does. Chris out. I think they're going to have a hell of a record and he's going to put up, you know, disgusting numbers that he always does. To me, safest bet. I got to be honest. Same. I had Joao last year, so I could definitely see him winning it this year. Sorry, Yolkets fans. But I mean, he wants it. We know he wants it. He absolutely wants it. But the guy I think who could actually in a way sock us and get it is Steph Curry. He's probably going to be on the best team in the league. He's going to be the best player on that team. He's going to score a lot of points. He's going to have great numbers. Now, is he in that grandfathered list with LeBron and Giannis and probably Yolkets now to where we're just not going to vote for him? He might not, but if there's ever a chance for him to win it, this is like a narrative award in a lot of ways. And yeah, reigning champ kind of just asserting his dominance all year could definitely see a third MVP for Steph. I mean, voter fatigue is real people. Do not doubt that. Do you have a sleeper pick? If not, I mean, I guess you could argue he's a bit of a sleeper, but do you have one? It's a little more of a long shot because I know mine and mine is winning. So whatever. Yo, I wanted to dig deep here. And I like the job mentioned as well. I think Trey is lurking there for many of the same reasons as we said, it's the Hawks being contenders. But I'm going to go with Dame Lillard for the sense of, I think the opposite of voter fatigue is distance make the heart grow founder. We kind of forgot how great Dame was last year when he was out with injuries. This is a team that's going to want to win games. They're here to win now. And yeah, you know, Dame is a little underappreciated in the sense. So you could absolutely see the story going this year as he gets up there in points and, you know, if they push 50, 55 wins, they get a top four seed. I think he's a dark horse for MVP. Does it happen? We'll see. But I think he's good enough to make it happen. It'd be a great, you know, badge to add to his vest. It would be huge because the expectations for Portland aren't great either. Chandler, do you have someone different than Dave? How come no one's saying Kawhi? Like I just feel like something's about to happen out there. Because I feel like that's not too long. When I think of a long shot, like, yeah, like Damian Lillard, they're a really good one. Kawhi, I think they're going to be really good. And I think Kawhi actually has a pretty solid chance if he stays healthy. What if I throw out Carl Adams out there? Somehow, some way, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a top four or five seed. He's their best player and he's built for the regular season. They add Rudy Gobert and he's going to put up Gotti numbers. If he can put up 28, 29, 30 and 10 and 12 and four assists, I like Carl Anthony Towns as the long shot MPP this year. Chandler, what if I told you no shot in hell? What did you do with that? I wanted to reach for the stars here and in a world, they're putting up crazy numbers and the Timberwolves being pretty good. Fair. Look, your justification makes sense. I know we're running out of time here, but I do want to get to rookie of the year. Is there anyone that's going to shock us or is this thing already? Is it Ben Carrows to lose, Eddie? I think it's Keegan Murray's to lose. He's in such a great situation in Sacramento. He's going to get all the shots he wants. He's going to have the opportunity to get all the numbers he needs. I think Jaden Ivy's in a similar situation as well as Benedict Matherin. Now, Matherin's coming off the bench as of now. But to me, those are the guys to look for. Yes, Paolo's amazing and he'll have a great season as well. But I'm going to go with Keegan. I think he's got this. It's going to be big for Sacramento in my hometown. I like that. Agree, Chandler? Yeah. For those odds, I like Keegan. He's older. His team's not very good. He's going to put up numbers. My sleeper pick would be Shaden. I think he's the biggest wild card. He's the biggest mystery. Again, Portland, I think they're going to struggle a little bit this year. He's going to get a lot of reps. He would be my sleeper pick just because we really don't know much about him. We're betting big on Portland. Yeah. What do we not know about you? What is going on with you in Portland today? That's interesting. I like it. Guys, this is our first show. I know we only have a few seconds left, but I just want to say I feel pretty good about it. You guys feeling good? I love it. I love it. Because we're going to be back tomorrow. Chandler, who knows where he's coming to us from tomorrow and it'll just be an exciting time to find out. But again, congratulations on the nuptials. Enjoy your Monday night. Tomorrow, it's Christmas Day for the NBA. We'll see you guys tomorrow. You guys, good morning.