A. Sherrod Blakely is joined by Michael Curtis from Dallas Morning News to discuss the state of the NBA through the first two weeks. Have the Thunder, Suns, and Cavs caught up to the Celtics after their hot starts? Are the Celtics still the favorites in the East? Can the Mavericks make it through the West for a second straight year?
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SportsTranscript
00:00The Big 3 NBA Podcast is powered by PrizePix and the Game Time app.
00:25Hello everyone, welcome to another edition of the Big 3 NBA Podcast.
00:28I'm host H-Rob Blakely and I'm joined by Michael Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
00:34What's up, Mike?
00:34How you doing?
00:36Can't complain.
00:37Can't complain.
00:37Early season.
00:39It's an interesting, interesting landscape out there, man.
00:43Just covering, obviously, the defending Western Conference champions in
00:47Dallas.
00:48They're not looking like title contenders right now.
00:51I can say that.
00:53And I can, and if anyone knows about non-title contenders, it's my brother
00:59Mike Curtis who covered the Detroit Pistons for a minute, saw some of the
01:05memorable basketball, not in a good way.
01:09But I wanted to, you know, as you just touched on Dallas and just kind of
01:12some of their early season struggles, can you get a sense of like why
01:16having things kind of, you know, come together the way they obviously
01:19wanted them to, especially considering how last season ended and how they
01:23brought some of the, you know, some of the core guys back from that team.
01:26Yes, a lot of interesting dynamics at play right now.
01:30I think obviously you got to start at Luka Doncic.
01:33He didn't have preseason training camp due to a left calf contusion.
01:38So this is his first time really getting an opportunity to play with his new
01:42teammates and Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Najee Marshall, Spencer
01:47Dinwiddie is back.
01:48So I think a lot of those guys are getting used to playing with Luka and
01:52they're, they have a tendency to have slow starts and Jason Kidd went off
01:57about it last night.
01:59He said they're not playing with any fight, any effort.
02:04He needs some type of energy off the bench and he's not getting that production
02:09out of his bench.
02:09They scored nine points off the bench last night against Phoenix and it tied
02:15the season low from two weeks ago when they played in Phoenix when they scored
02:19nine points.
02:20So it's something trending right there with that team against Phoenix that
02:24they just can't get it together from a bench aspect, but they're not healthy
02:28either.
02:29Derek Lively the second is dealing with the right shoulder sprain.
02:33He's doubtful for tomorrow's game against the Nuggets.
02:36PJ Washington has missed some time due to a right knee sprain and Maxie Cleaver
02:42has also been out due to a hamstring.
02:45Injury.
02:45So they're they're having some early season struggles for sure.
02:50Now when you talk about those those early season struggles and you talk about
02:53just a bench, not being as impactful from a scoring standpoint, obviously,
02:57it's Jason Kidd and the Madison one.
03:00Is there any part of that conversation attributed to Luka being Luka?
03:04Because it typically when you have teams that have really dynamic high impact
03:08scores.
03:09Sometimes those bench guys, they feel like well, you know, I rebound here.
03:14I play a little defense and he take care of scoring.
03:17Is there some of that that might be going on with the Maverick's guys are
03:21too comfortable deferring to Luka Kyrie and some of the big time scores on
03:26that team?
03:27Yeah, I think Kyrie talked about it last night.
03:29Actually, there's a difference when you're a star player and when you're
03:33a role player, you're limited to 10 15 20 minutes off the bench.
03:37You got to be successful in that role no matter what it is.
03:41Like everybody knows the ball is going to go to Luka and Kyrie and Clay Thompson
03:45forever rather now.
03:47But what are you going to do when you get opportunity to shoot you get
03:51opportunity to play mate and you kind of don't take advantage of the
03:55opportunity.
03:55I think I think the Mavs need a lot a third.
03:59I want to say a third score because in essence Clay Thompson is supposed to
04:03be that it's interesting because he looked really great.
04:07You like you fit well with the team in the first couple of games.
04:11I think they were prioritizing him a little bit more.
04:14I think recently they've gone back to how they they're used to playing.
04:18If that makes sense, like Luka Donchish ball dominant, he's going to get
04:23his shots up and sometimes it seems like Clays just out there waiting on
04:27the ball.
04:28So I think they need to involve him a little bit more and take some of the
04:33burden off of Lucas.
04:34So like you mentioned role players.
04:37It's it's it's hard to kind of acquiesce to a new situation, especially
04:43when you got like Quentin Grimes and Najee Marshall.
04:45He's gotten to start actually as of late just because of PJ Washington's
04:49injury.
04:50He's kind of showed a little bit more of what he can do as far as playmaking
04:54with the ball and such but they got to find some time.
04:57So some type of production from guys outside of Lucas Luka and Kyrie.
05:03Yeah, and then I'm glad you brought up Clay Thompson because you know from
05:06the outside looking in, you know, people look at as your number three
05:09score Dallas, but watching him play.
05:14I'm reminded as to why Golden State was kind of cool with letting him bounce
05:19Clay Thompson.
05:20I don't think he's necessarily a bad player now, but clearly the Clay
05:23Thompson that could get you like 20 points in a quarter.
05:26I'm not sure that dude is coming in the building anytime soon.
05:29How has that been for the Mavs just adjusting to this a new kind of Clay
05:34Thompson because I think most Mavs fans were thinking this is a splat.
05:39This is one of the Splash Brothers who's killing us year in year out and
05:43you know, Clay with no fault of his own.
05:46I'll put it on father time.
05:47He just doesn't seem to be that player still a good player but doesn't seem
05:50to be that guy anymore.
05:53Yeah, I think we've seen two different versions of Clay Thompson.
05:56I think we've seen like I mentioned earlier first three games that I think
06:01they were prioritizing a little bit more in that space and gravity that he
06:04that he creates just by being a perimeter shooting threat.
06:09He was able to get as wide open as he probably probably has been in his
06:14career.
06:15He was able to take gather dribbles and just shoot and let it launch and
06:19let it fly.
06:20He's still getting some of those shots, but it's not with the same frequency
06:24that it once was.
06:26He's averaging 14 points off 36% from three.
06:31He averaged 38% from close to 39% from three last season on an average 18
06:38points last year with Golden State.
06:39So a decrease in production from scoring wise, but he's been playing solid
06:45defense, but I think once he does get the ball, he's pressing a little bit
06:50because he goes through spells where he doesn't get the ball at all.
06:54So he's trying to get those shots up as much as he can, but I think they just
06:58need to run more design pin downs.
07:03Get him some shots that he can kind of get create a rhythm going.
07:09Yeah, and you had mentioned right off the top.
07:11Just you know, just the health of Luca was one of the things that you know,
07:15it was an issue at the beginning of the season.
07:17He wasn't he literally wasn't able to be out there.
07:20How much talk has there been about his conditioning?
07:23Because I know last season there was a lot of talk about it not being where
07:26it needed to be and it took him a while to kind of get into that that type
07:31of shape and condition to really be significantly impactful.
07:35He's always impactful, but it seems that when he's in great shape, he becomes
07:39a different much damn near unguardable player.
07:43He's damn near unguardable even when he's not in great shape.
07:46How much has that weighed in on just some of the physical setbacks that he's
07:51had and is that something that you know, Jason kid and the coaching staff
07:56have talked about?
07:58Yeah, it's always been a constant in Lucas career.
08:02I don't think it's been as prevalent this year because when he came into
08:08training camp when he got to media day, he looked lean.
08:12He looked very much in shape.
08:14We know he was working out ramping up for training camp prior to and he also
08:20played with his national team Slovenia trying to qualify for the Olympics.
08:24So I don't think he was ever out of shape, but the injuries have set him
08:28back and it is contributed a lot to his kind of shooting struggles to start
08:33the season.
08:34He averaged a career high from three last year and he's been struggling to
08:39shoot the ball.
08:41And I think particularly the Mavs look a lot.
08:45The Mavs like to go to Luka a lot in the first quarter.
08:47We like let him go go dominate play all 12 minutes.
08:52I think that's only been the case once this this season.
08:57They typically like to get him going because once he gets going he can kind
09:00of get his teammates involved, but I kind of think they need to flip the
09:04script and get everyone else involved before they go to Luka before Luka kind
09:08of like just dominates the ball as much as he does.
09:12And the thing about it Kyrie Irving has been been great.
09:15He's been sensational.
09:16He's shooting 50% from three this season.
09:19I think he'll be leaned on a lot especially if Luka can't go tomorrow
09:23because he's dealing with a left groin injury.
09:25So it's gonna be interesting to see how things pan out but nine games in this
09:30team isn't looking like the Western Conference finals champions that they
09:34were last just a few months ago.
09:37Yeah, it's interesting that you bring up Kyrie because one of the things that
09:41for those of us who've covered him before recognize him going to Dallas was
09:46that that was a situation that seemed the perfect fit for him because as long
09:50as he's there Luke was always going to be the main draw the main guy that the
09:54one that most of the pressure to win was going to fall upon his shoulders and
09:59Kyrie was just going to be that that super powered high-impact Robin to Lucas
10:04Batman and with Luka having some of the you know, physical ailments that have
10:10kind of set him back a little bit and kept him off the floor more attention
10:13more focus has been on Kyrie.
10:14How is he handled that for the most part and just from your perspective?
10:18Yeah, he's very poised.
10:20He's very strategic and what he wants to do.
10:23He's not rushing a lot of his shots.
10:25He's taking his opportunities when he when he gets them.
10:28I think he understands that with the slow starts with the shooting struggles
10:32of Luka and a lot of the other guys that there needs to be more of a I guess
10:37emphasis on his scoring load.
10:40He's averaging 23.7 4.8 rebounds 4.8 assists.
10:45So 23 5 and 5 on 50% shooting and over 50% from three.
10:51I don't think you can ask more from Kyrie.
10:53I think he's doing a good job defensively as well.
10:55Despite his size, you know, that's that's usually been a detriment in his career
10:59just because he's not able to kind of just just just be a deterrent on that side
11:05of the floor.
11:06But as far as leadership, he's trying to galvanize his group.
11:10He understands that there are new personalities on the group that he has to
11:15kind of figure out how to deal with.
11:17I think he mentioned that a couple of nights ago and one of his postgame
11:21pressers, but I think he's taking the challenge of being the go-to guy while
11:26the Babs are trying to figure out figure things out.
11:29Yeah, because I mean it and when you look at his career, I mean, he's kind of
11:32been in and out of that role.
11:33You know, he was in that role when there was no LeBron and then LeBron joins
11:37forces and now he's in that next to the man role and then LeBron leaves and he's
11:42back to being the man comes to the to Boston.
11:45They want him to be the man didn't want to didn't necessarily want to do that.
11:50And now in Dallas, it just seemed like this was the perfect fit because as long
11:53as Luke was around, he's not going to be counted upon to be that guy.
11:57And then of course now Luca is dealing with some injuries and is a little bit
12:00more spotlight on him.
12:01But the struggles that Dallas has had to just really get back to where they were
12:06a year ago has kind of opened the door for some other cats to be kind of running
12:11the you know, having run of the land so to speak out West and I wanted us to I
12:15wanted you to talk about Oklahoma City.
12:17They had a great season last year didn't quite get over that hump in the playoffs.
12:22They seem to be even better this year.
12:25I mean from from what you can tell why is Oklahoma City basically picking up where
12:30they left off only there seem to be doing it at an even better clip than they did,
12:35you know, they've done in the past.
12:37Yeah, Oklahoma City is playing really well.
12:39They're eight and one second in the West currently behind Phoenix.
12:44I think they're tied actually have the same record but I think it's just because
12:47Chet Holmgren has taken another step.
12:51We didn't know how things were going to necessarily pan out coming into the
12:55season.
12:55We knew Oklahoma City was going to be good.
12:58I think a lot of them a lot of people have them coming out of the Western
13:01Conference.
13:03I think it's because Chet Holmgren has taken another step.
13:06I think Jalen Williams is playing particularly well and Shaggy
13:09Eldridge-Alexander is going to be Shaggy Eldridge-Alexander.
13:13I think the fact that they have more another year to kind of gain more
13:18continuity get experience.
13:20They shoot the ball really well.
13:22They're defending at a high clip.
13:24I think it just just another year of experiences is giving them what they
13:30need to kind of remain a dominant force in the West.
13:34I will say you been you mentioned another team and Phoenix is doing is
13:39doing a really good job as well.
13:41And we saw them last night here in Dallas.
13:43I think when you have that big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley
13:48Bill, you got guys like Nurkic.
13:51Nurkic has has taken advantage of both matchups every time he's played
13:56against Dallas.
13:57He's able to stretch the floor.
13:58He's able to be a bully on the inside and then you got all the role guys
14:03like Tyus Jones, Josh Kogi.
14:05I think that that group is is is surprising a lot more people than people
14:11probably thought they were going to be.
14:13I think people thought this team this would be the team that we saw last
14:16season, but they weren't able to stay healthy and we really weren't able to
14:20see the potential of what that group could be but not they have a point
14:24guard and Tyus Jones and they're able to kind of have that big three Phoenix.
14:28I think we're seeing what Phoenix could be.
14:31Yeah, and I'm glad you pivoted to them because I definitely wanted to get
14:34into a little bit of Phoenix Sunstock.
14:36They are probably the big surprise of the year so far as far as winning them
14:41in Cleveland, but Phoenix specifically, you know, their big three, you know,
14:46it's just a ridiculous offensive firepower.
14:50But the big question with them was could that team as a collective group
14:54defend could they do some things that can you know, give them chances to win
15:00at the highest level when the games matter most which is obviously in the
15:03playoffs from what you've seen of them.
15:06Are they a better team defensively this year or is it just simply having, you
15:10know, Durant, Bill and Booker relatively healthy that's feeling that this
15:17team's really fast start.
15:19Yeah, I think that they're accepting the challenge of defending.
15:22There's a lot of guys out there in the league that say they want to defend but
15:26they don't actually show it when they get on the floor.
15:30I think when you got a guy like Kevin Durant who likes to play both sides of
15:34the ball, we know he's exceptional on offensive end, but he really takes the
15:39takes the challenge of guarding opposing team's best player on a nightly basis.
15:43You got guys who can rotate move their feet.
15:46Bradley Bill isn't obviously the player he once was but I think a lot of those
15:51guys like to defend you got Plumlee coming off the bench and then you just
15:56got I want to say utility guys who kind of specialize you need those wings to
16:01win.
16:01Everybody knows that's how Boston was able to beat the Mavericks in the finals
16:05last year.
16:06You need guys who can defend multiple positions and be versatile.
16:10So I think I think Phoenix is playing really good defense, but that it that
16:16offense is is is insane.
16:19Think about nothing that that's what that's what a lot of people thought that
16:23Dallas would be coming into this year, especially when you add a guy like
16:27Clay Thompson, but it's taking it's taking some figuring out early in the
16:31season.
16:32Yeah, they definitely are a team that I think is surprise people.
16:37But if you really sit down and let it marinate for a minute in your mind, they
16:43got three out of 10 15 best players in the game and they all bring something
16:48different to the table and to the point that you made and I think it's maybe
16:51the most essential element in their success is they got someone to set the
16:55table.
16:56They didn't really have a legitimate point guard who was going to make sure
17:02everyone ate good and they got that now.
17:06And so that they are definitely a team that I think it's kind of figured out
17:10how to be the best version of themselves and that's a little scary for the rest
17:14of the Western Congress prize.
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18:27you play your first $5 lineup prize picks run your game, but when you look
18:34at all the different things going on out West, you look over the East and
18:39there's a lot of familiar faces that are still, you know, kind of at the
18:43head of the head of the snake, so to speak, as far as the top teams in the
18:48Eastern Conference and you know, we'd be remiss in that starting off talking
18:52about the Boston Celtics.
18:54There's some other teams that there are at least one other team with a
18:57better record, but the Celtics are still they kind of have that.
19:00We're still the team to beat swagger from what you've seen about them.
19:05Is there anything different or unique about what they're doing now or
19:09they just basically same old same old Celtics?
19:12I think you can say they're the same old Celtics, but I think there's a
19:15different motivation last year that they wanted to get over the hump finally
19:20win a championship after knocking on the door year after year this year.
19:24I think they understand that they're still the best team in NBA, but the
19:28rest of the league has gotten better as well.
19:31But there's also been some slights towards Jason Tatum towards Jalen Brown
19:37throughout the offseason.
19:38That's probably motivating them a little bit more this year and I think you
19:42see it in Jason Tatum's play.
19:43He's playing like an MVP right now.
19:46I saw that he kind of tweaked his jump shot.
19:48I'm not sure if it's reverted back to what it was, but he's shooting the
19:52ball.
19:52Well, I think he's really taking this season to heart.
19:58So he played against Golden State and he pretty much took more of a mature
20:03approach and I think a lot of people thought that he would pretty much
20:06saying it was just another game on the schedule.
20:09There's no extra juice or motivation.
20:11No guys can say that but they probably feel something different.
20:17But I think it starts with Jason Tatum and once this team gets
20:22Christophe Brzezinski is back.
20:23I think that's when we'll be able to see the Boston Celtics that we saw in
20:28the finals last year.
20:30Yeah, because I mean that Golden State game, Jalen Brown has missed a couple
20:33of games dealing with a little minor injury.
20:37I don't think Jalen would have lied to us and said that it was just another
20:41game if he would have been able to play against Golden State.
20:44He's kind of like that straight no chaser dude.
20:48He kind of keeps it a hundred probably more than he probably should
20:51sometimes but they're definitely playing good basketball and in part
20:55because you know, they brought everyone back and the thing the point that
20:59you made about them playing with a little extra motivation.
21:02I don't think people really understand the value and importance of having
21:07a little bit more of an edge about you particularly when you're winning
21:11the championship.
21:11You look at the Denver Nuggets.
21:13You look at a lot of the more recent champs in Milwaukee Bucks and there's
21:17a clear and undeniable downward spiral that happens right after they win a
21:22championship and the Celtics don't seem like they're necessarily in that
21:28frame of mind.
21:29I think in part of it Michael is because they still feel they got something
21:33to prove like Tatum's thing like damn.
21:35I'm like first in my let me a but I can't get no run in the Olympics and
21:39Jalen Brown's like damn.
21:40I'm like NBA finals MVP.
21:41I can't even be on the damn team finding ways to keep yourself engaged is
21:46really important and one team that I think has done that even better than
21:50the Celtics this year is the Cleveland Cavaliers that was a team that when
21:55the Celtics bouncing from the playoffs a year ago, it was like is Donovan
21:59Mitchell, you know planning his escape route or is he going to stay around
22:04for the long haul is Evan Moby ever going to be that dude that we all think
22:08he can be and and you know, the Allen kid, you know good player, but can
22:12he be that stabilizing interior force at both ends of the floor?
22:16They need and are this is this Cleveland team going to be properly motivated
22:21to be the best version of themselves.
22:22Do they need to get rid of the coach which they did and they brought in a
22:26guy in Kenny Atkinson who if you look at his track record, the only thing
22:31that you can say that pretty much every team Kenny Atkins has been a part
22:34of does is they play hard and Cleveland they I've watched him play four or
22:40five games this year.
22:41They're beating teams, but they're beating teams not only on a scoreboard
22:44but also with effort have they Michael from what you've seen been been a
22:49bit of a surprise that they played as well.
22:51I you figured that pretty pretty good.
22:52But are you surprised that they played as well as they have thus far this
22:56year? I am I am I think when we think of Cleveland, we always think of them
23:00as that four fifth, maybe even six best team in the in the Eastern Conference.
23:05You everybody all automatically sounds is going to be Boston, New York,
23:09Milwaukee, Philly, and then you throw Cleveland in somewhere after
23:14there. I think that Donovan Mitchell coming off that extension.
23:19He's on a mission as well.
23:21There's a lot of guys who play to a certain level before they get that
23:27money.
23:27But I think now that Donovan has secured the bag, he's showing why he
23:32was worth that money and then you got to throw in Darius Garland, too.
23:37I think a lot of people didn't question their fit.
23:39Are they are they going to going to work well together?
23:43Can they coexist?
23:44They both need the ball.
23:45I think Darius Garland is playing with a re-energized.
23:49I guess amount of effort and spirit coming into this season.
23:52And like you mentioned, they're beating teams and they're blowing them out.
23:56They got a lot of quality wins.
23:57They beat the Warriors recently.
23:58I think that was their last game.
24:00They beat the Knicks earlier this year.
24:02They beat the Bucks twice in a row.
24:04That's another case.
24:07This kind of interesting this season, but yeah, the Cavaliers look good.
24:11They're 10 and 0 undefeated.
24:13They're clearly playing like the best team in NBA right now.
24:17One thing I'm interested in seeing is is how long can they sustain this level of
24:21play? A lot of times you see teams get off to fast starts and
24:26somewhere down the line they fizzle out.
24:29Can this team stay healthy?
24:30Can this team stay motivated?
24:31Can this team continue to shoot the ball like they've been shooting?
24:35Yeah, you touched on a second ago.
24:37The other team that has stood out for frankly all the wrong reasons, the
24:41Milwaukee Bucks.
24:43Question to you is which has been the biggest surprise Cleveland success or
24:47Milwaukee struggles?
24:49Milwaukee struggles.
24:50I think a lot of people thought that another full season with Damian Lillard
24:55and Giannis would kind of help coming into this season and that hasn't been
25:00the case.
25:02I'm pretty sure a lot of people saw the clips going around about Giannis this
25:06morning.
25:06He's he's he's he pretty much said if you don't want to be here, you can leave.
25:12We don't know who that was directed towards.
25:14We don't know if that was in just just towards media for he was talking off
25:17camera, but that was interesting in itself.
25:20So that kind of tells you where things are.
25:23You listen to the the temperature in that locker room now is a little high
25:29and folks are starting to get a little hot and whenever that happens something
25:34has to change dramatically for them to get out of this malaise.
25:37They're in whether it's a lineup change.
25:40I don't think it's going to be a coaching change.
25:42I'm pretty damn sure it's not going to be a coaching change, especially when
25:45you look at the coaching change.
25:47They made when they brought docking.
25:50There's still there's still a lot of people in the NBA that I know and talk
25:53to who, you know, still kind of get a side eye to the Bucks for doing that
25:57because it's like not the guy that you had before was winning.
26:02He have they Milwaukee had one of the best records in the NBA, not just, you
26:07know in the East in the NBA and you cut him loose to bring in Doc and they
26:11basically been a 500 s team since and that's it's telling it's telling that
26:20Milwaukee is in the state that they're in when you think about, you know, they
26:25put themselves here like literally you put yourselves in this position to have
26:30to struggle the way you have when you decided to make a change in leadership
26:34and I love Doc Rivers Doc is one of my favorite coaches in the game, but I
26:39would I can understand why if you're a finger thing like damn doc, seriously,
26:45whatever we didn't we didn't make this move so that you can be a 500 T so that
26:48you can be, you know, getting, you know, getting getting your head smashed by
26:51you know, average teams in the East.
26:54So it's been a surprise to see how just horrific they've been.
27:01I mean, I think I think they've had like more double dip.
27:03They've had like a bunch of double-digit losses and it's not all been because
27:08you know, Giannis has been in and out of the line of anything like that.
27:10I mean, even when he's healthy, they catch them else.
27:13So that's been a bit of surprise.
27:17Now, I will say one team that I did want to highlight and we will talk about
27:22that. We talked about it earlier.
27:25I covered this team for the last two seasons.
27:28I was waiting for this.
27:30Pistons are 7th in the East.
27:34They have a better record than the Hawks, the Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers, the
27:41Bucks.
27:43And I think I think a lot of people are blaming me.
27:46Not that I'm out of there.
27:47They probably can thrive.
27:49Exactly.
27:49Exactly.
27:50It looks like JB.
27:52Yeah, I hate to break it to him.
27:54But uh, they were kind of trashing it out the place before you just throw it
27:58up on the scene.
27:59I was I was joking with some of my bosses like yo, this is this is the
28:03Pistons team that I remember like when I covered the team, they were ahead
28:07of Philly.
28:07They were ahead better than Milwaukee.
28:09They were better than all these teams that they're now better than but
28:12Detroit.
28:12I will say this though when the Celtics played them earlier this year in
28:17Detroit, that was a game.
28:18I mean, that was a really good game and it was a reminder that this
28:23Detroit team in the right situation with the right proper motivation and
28:29right coaching.
28:29It seems like they could be a they could be a playoff team.
28:32Now, the one thing I criticize, I'm critical of them about and I've seen
28:36this happen time and time again with them is they play at a certain level
28:40when they're playing great teams.
28:42They play at a different level when they're playing average to below
28:45average teams and it's just like the effort that they played against it
28:48against Boston.
28:50If they play most, if not all the games like that, they will win like 40
28:5345 games easy easy.
28:56And so they've got some talent there and they just got to stay healthy and
29:00they've got to keep growing that thing.
29:01And then to me, they got to have a little bit of patience and let these
29:04guys gel and develop chemistry.
29:08They're going to be pretty good.
29:09They in a lot of ways.
29:11They are the type of roster that is going to cause problems.
29:16They got youth athleticism multi-positional guys who can defend and
29:20when you have them things going for you, look at Oklahoma City.
29:24Oklahoma City is good because they got good players, but they got good
29:27versatile players who can hurt you in a multitude of ways.
29:30I mean check and go out to get you 20 and 10.
29:32He can also alter or block four or five shots a game to the next thing,
29:36you know, you know, if those nights where he's not scoring, he's still
29:39impacting the game.
29:41Detroit is starting to get players who can do those things that the big
29:45fella are doing.
29:46I love him.
29:47He's got like low-key dog in him and in Cade.
29:51I know ain't no low-key.
29:52Dick Cade is a dog and I like that.
29:55He just hasn't been healthy enough and he hasn't been in position to
29:58showcase his talents because he's going to be a good play.
30:01He's going to be an all-star at some point.
30:03It may not be this year, but it's going to happen.
30:06He's straight triple doubles too.
30:07That's what I'm saying.
30:08He balling out.
30:09He balling out.
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31:47So the East is looking a lot better.
31:50Milwaukee be damned, but the rest of the most of the East Conference
31:54teams are looking better.
31:55And so my question to you Michael, but as we kind of, you know, transition
31:58out of this.
31:59Yeah, what do you think is going to wind up being a last team standing
32:02in the East?
32:02Who do you think is going to get to the NBA finals coming out of the
32:05East?
32:07You put me on the spot because you got some options.
32:10Yeah, it's a lot of options.
32:12You may I hate to push back on this.
32:15You said East is good, but I'm looking at the standards right now.
32:19And it's Cleveland is Boston.
32:22Only two teams that have winning records.
32:24Everybody else is 500 or below.
32:27They knock each other out, man.
32:28Yeah.
32:29Yeah.
32:29So that kind of speaks to the competitiveness of the conference and
32:32how they're kind of going against each other to start the season.
32:35But if I have to take a pick, I'm going to go Boston.
32:39I'm not going to go against them until they're dethroned.
32:43I like what I'm seeing from the Knicks.
32:45I think that fit with Kat and Jalen Brunson is nice.
32:49They're four and four right now, but I think they're still figuring
32:52some things out.
32:53But Kat is getting his numbers.
32:56I like what Cleveland is doing, but I'm not sure.
32:58I don't know how long it's going to be able to last.
33:02I think the only team in that mix right now is the Celtics and they're
33:05proven and who the Sixers.
33:11They're a mess right now.
33:11The Bucks.
33:12They're a mess right now.
33:13So it's going to take some it's going to it's going to take an uphill
33:16climb for them to get back in the mix, but I'm going with Boston right
33:19now.
33:20It's come out of the East.
33:21Yeah, I thought I thought Orlando could be a sleeper.
33:23What Bengerro?
33:24He's been hurt.
33:25But so we'll see how if they can get it back and I'm going to put you
33:28put you on a spot who's coming out the West your neck of the woods
33:32your hood who's coming out West.
33:38This is just after one month of season.
33:40I know things change but the first month of the season if you had to
33:44put money on one of these teams to come out the West.
33:46Who's that team?
33:47Yeah, I wrote in my preview.
33:50I had the Mavs in the OKC Thunder in the Western Conference finals.
33:55I had the Thunder going to the finals and I'm not going to go away from
33:58that now after a month.
34:01I'm gonna go with the Thunder.
34:03Okay, and they're I mean, they're obviously right now.
34:05They're playing great basketball and the thing that they did that I
34:09thought was really impressive was that I thought they need a little bit
34:13more muscle in the front court for the playoffs.
34:16They could get they could get by with whatever they rocking right now.
34:19It's the regular season, but they don't need some muscle more muscle in
34:21the playoffs and getting Isaiah Arnoldstein from from New York was
34:24huge to me, even though he hasn't obviously done much with with health
34:29and all that stuff.
34:30They don't need him now.
34:31They need him on the dog days of April and May and for their sake.
34:37They hope June because they're they're going to be some dogfights teams
34:41are not just going to just I mean and I'm thinking one team specifically
34:44that we haven't talked anything about was Minnesota.
34:47They it's like I want to love Minnesota Julius Randall.
34:53I have a kind of a love-hate relationship with that dude.
34:56Like I love certain parts of his game, but I hate the fact that the ones
35:00parts that I don't like him trying to get better at like he is a I mean,
35:04he is a walking easy pass defensively.
35:07I mean guys he the light is always the doors are always open.
35:11If you try to go at Julius and he got into it with one of the assistant
35:15coaches who you know saw that he blew an assignment and that coach did
35:18what you supposed to do coach him up.
35:20Let me know what did wrong and Julius didn't particularly care for
35:23that. He's never particularly care for that which is why for the life
35:27of me. I don't know how long I don't know how he lasted as long as
35:31he did with Tibbs because Tibbs is all about that D and Julius is not
35:36about that D at all.
35:38So they're a team that I want to like because there's so many other
35:43pieces about them.
35:43I do like but damn Julius.
35:45I don't know.
35:47I don't know.
35:48Okay.
35:48See on the other hand, they got youth.
35:51They got shooting.
35:52They got leadership.
35:53They got bangers now.
35:54They got a solid coach who knows his role.
35:57He's not trying to overcoach.
35:59He's not but he's putting his imprint on what they do.
36:01He's got that perfect balance of being the right person at the right
36:06place at the right time with the right team.
36:09I got OKC coming out West too and I got to be an OKC in Boston in the
36:14finals and again, I haven't picked the winner yet because it's too
36:18damn early to pick a winner, but I do know this though.
36:21I like the fact that both of those teams are going to be significantly
36:26challenged.
36:27Both of those teams have multiple teams in their respective
36:31conferences that are going to push them to be better.
36:33OKC is not going to walk just run away with that thing.
36:36Minnesota gonna have something to say about that.
36:38Phoenix.
36:38They gonna have something to say about that.
36:40Dallas gonna have something to say about it for all of a sudden done
36:43and then the East, you know, the Celtics.
36:45Yeah, they're the champs but Cleveland is like, yo, we ain't scared of
36:49y'all.
36:49The Knicks are like, yo, we, yes, y'all, y'all, y'all smash this real
36:53good on opening night, but we ain't afraid of y'all either.
36:56And Philadelphia will continue to tell themselves as soon as we get
36:59Joelle back, soon as we get PG back, we gonna be alright.
37:03So we just kind of let them stay in that dream state and keep feeling
37:06good about themselves like that.
37:08But there are multiple teams that whoever emerges from the East and
37:12the West, you will not, there are no cakewalks.
37:17There just aren't.
37:18People thought that, you know, when the Celtics got to the finals last
37:21year that they got a bunch of breaks.
37:23But the thing is this, you still got winning games.
37:27I mean, it's not like just because you on paper are better than the
37:30team.
37:30That means you're going to win the game by 10, 15 points.
37:32No, you still got to play the game.
37:34And so I just, I look at both the East and West as though whoever
37:38emerges, you can't just play the game.
37:41You got to play the game well in order to win.
37:43And even though Dallas is like hovering around 500, look, as long
37:47as you got somebody like, like Luca and Kyrie in the mix and Klay
37:51Thompson, we all know Klay can get it going at any given moment.
37:56He can easily score like 20 points in a quarter, score 20 points and
37:59a half.
38:00And next thing, you know, in a playoff situation to have a guy that
38:03has that type of instant elite offense in his bag.
38:08Yeah, that could be the difference between you getting out of the
38:10first and second round.
38:11That could be the difference between you getting back to the final
38:13or getting bounced in the first round.
38:14So it's not about November.
38:16At the end of the day, when it comes to these teams that we're talking
38:18about, it's all about April, May and June.
38:21Yeah.
38:21And the teams, yeah.
38:23I mean, to your point, teams like Oklahoma City and Minnesota, they
38:25need those months leading up to it in order to get confidence.
38:28And as you pointed out earlier, to just kind of develop consistency,
38:32but once they've already done that, OKC is like, OK, let's just, you
38:36know, do we need to do between now and like April and come April.
38:40Let's fire it up.
38:40Let's go.
38:42So it's, this has been a fun start for me to the league.
38:47It seems like everyone is either balling out or getting balled on
38:50badly. Like Milwaukee, again, probably the biggest disappointment
38:55in the NBA so far this season.
38:58Whenever you, whenever you are in the standings and Detroit is looking
39:01down on you, because like about a week, less than a week ago, I was
39:07looking at the standings and you know, you just kind of, you're
39:10skimming the teams at the top and you get to the bottom like, oh
39:12damn, Detroit got three wins.
39:15Milwaukee's got like one or two wins.
39:17I'm like, damn, that's when you know.
39:20And one thing I'm going to be looking out for, especially like over
39:23the last three weeks, obviously we've seen how the standards are
39:26shaping up, but the in-season tournament is about to start and
39:30competition is about to take an uptick.
39:32I'm not sure how you feel about the in-season tournament, but I like
39:35the competition aspect of it.
39:38Well, I like the concept.
39:39It's a concept that I could get behind, but when the team that wins
39:44the championship, they don't even make the damn playoffs.
39:47It's just like, it's kind of like winning the preseason NIT and you
39:51don't get to the NCAA tournament.
39:54It's like, okay, you got that nice preseason NIT chip.
39:58That's nice.
39:58Put a banner up if you want, but what does it mean in the grand
40:03scheme of things?
40:04I think this year though, I think the team that comes out as the
40:08winner is probably going to be one of the better teams.
40:10Like I absolutely expect like Boston, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Minnesota,
40:17Cleveland.
40:17I expect one of those five, one of those top six teams to be the
40:20winner.
40:21I don't think you'll see a thing like last year, where, you know,
40:24LeBron.
40:24Well, of course, you know, LeBron going to be LeBron and want to be
40:27first at everything, but realize that man, I guess winning the
40:32in-season tournament really don't mean a whole lot in the grand
40:33scheme of things.
40:35So I think one of the better teams will win it this year.
40:39So that and I hope it's that way because if we get another year
40:42where like somebody like Chicago Bulls win the in-season tournament
40:46and they don't make the playoffs, then that tournament loses
40:50even more credibility and it gets the side eye from everyone because
40:55it's like, hey, let's get ready for the in-season tournament be
40:57like what and get ready to not make the playoffs.
41:00Hell no.
41:01Yeah, so we'll see.
41:03We'll see.
41:05Well, listen, this has been good catching up with your brother.
41:08This has been really, really good.
41:10Michael, first, let the folks know where they can find your copy
41:13at and all the musings that you have on the NBA and the Dallas
41:17Mavericks.
41:18Yeah, you can find everything.
41:19I write Dallas news.com.
41:21I'm on Twitter slash X at Mike A Curtis 2 and it's always fun
41:26chopping up with you, man.
41:28Absolutely.
41:28Absolutely.
41:29Michael Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
41:31This is the Big 3 NBA podcast.
41:34Thanks for tuning out.
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41:42Much love to everyone.
41:43And again, enjoy the rest of your weekend and a week and we will
41:47see you around soon.
41:47Take care of folks.