Real or Fake: Playoff Edition! | Real Ones

What's popping real ones? Logan Murdock here, Howard Beck and of you. It is time for our

annual postseason edition of Realer Fake, where we talk about the top 16s in either conference

and we just asked the question, are they real or are they fake? Y'all know what the deal

is. We've been doing this for years. And then we get into a little bit of talk on the

Warriors Clippers game. I felt that was just too big of a moment in the NBA to pass up. So we get

into that. And then we get getting ready for the playoffs, man. We're really excited. We're

going to start Tuesday with me, Howard and Roger makes you get your questions in real ones,

male bag of gmail.com, real ones, male bag of gmail.com, real ones, male bag at gmail.com. Really,

really excited. Y'all know how we do. We not playing around. We're ready to give y'all

the best content, best podcast in the NBA, best podcast to basketball. We not playing real

ones up next. The Ringer NBA show is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA postseason is here

at FanDuel knows morning decisions. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink or sweet vanilla,

smooth caramel, maybe or white chocolate mocha, whichever you choose delicious coffee awaits,

find Starbucks Frappuccino drinks forever you buy your groceries. The only thing better than

watching your favorite team win is winning along with them. FanDuel is the best place to bet

the teams, players and plays during their playoff run. Build the same game parlay or try live

betting and jump in after tip off. Don't forget with FanDuel, you get paid instantly when you win.

Download the FanDuel Sportsbook app now and play your game. Disclaimer 21 plus in select states.

18 plus for DC can tuck your Wyoming a gambling problem, call 1-800-Gampler,

call 1-88-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut.

It's Bob and Real One's Logan Murdock here, how another fucking deck there. Time for our annual

edition of Playoff, Real or Fake. Really excited about this. Then we're going to talk a little

bit about the Warriors Clippers because that was just a wild game that needs to be discussed

on the Real One's platform. But first, let's get into it. Real or fake, Howard Motherfucking

Beck, the Detroit Pistons. We are right into it. Let's get into it. Listen, some of these are simple,

some are complicated. I don't think we need to overthink it. The pistons are real, they're really real.

They had the best record in the Eastern Conference, of course. They led pretty much

wire to wire in the conference and we can nitpick them. We can talk about whether they have enough

playmaking outside of Kate Cunningham. We can talk about how they, if they do, they have enough

shooting. We can talk about the lack of experience. But they just 160 freaking games.

And Kate is back. I think the only real concern I have, the only question Mark or caveat going

into the playoffs I have is how is Kate? You only had a couple of games back after the collapse.

Long, by the way, Halalooia, the NBA in concert with the Players Association ruled that Kate Cunningham

and Luca Donchets are in fact eligible for awards. They got their extraordinary circumstances

exception for the 65 game rule. That happened just before we started recording. So, yeah, maybe the

boost that Kate gets to his morale with that ruling propels them in the playoffs. The pistons are real.

Does that mean a little quicker side? Does that mean you think that the 65 game rule is like an

emission of like the NBA's admission of a fuck up. Boy, hey man, you know what? Go ahead guys.

Shine guys are eligible. Yeah. I'll just say like the union very, very reluctantly

agreed to this in the first place during the CBA negotiations. They did not want this and they're

absolutely, I believe, going to push to have it either massively curtailed more exceptions or

just stricken entirely. We'll see what happens. But in the meantime, yeah, I mean, this is a win for

the union. It's a win for obviously for cutting him and for Luca. And yeah, like it's not an

admission by the league necessarily. They did put in the exception for a reason like they gave

themselves that out. But come on, like this is why some of us hated this in the first place because

shit's going to happen. And these guys did not miss games because of load management. They had

actual reasons to be out. So, yeah, they landed in the right place. Anthony Edwards also applied for

an exception and was denied. Sorry, sorry, but no, the only reservation that I had for the pistons,

during the season, despite the record was how are they going to play without Cade Cunningham's

office? They're so reliant on him, right? Especially as a facilitator, as a initiator of offense,

you watched him, especially with all the picking roles that are centered around him. And then I

went to Detroit during the time I wrote a piece on Jalen Duran, but during that time, it was when

Cade was out in the premise of the piece. And the angle of it was like how how was Jalen Duran going

to adjust to this new role? But how are the pistons going to adjust to a new team without their

biggest offensive engine? And the way they do that is they just have a great amount of depth,

right? You know, they have Jenkins as a backup point guard who was able to who can score.

They have Paul Reed had a big game the other night. He's a good backup front court guy.

They have Tobias Harris who could bring that veteran presence, but they have a lot of dudes that

can play. It was almost like back in the day when I wouldn't put any names on it. But like in

the late 90s, remember where there would just be this big, amazing high level score that plays for

you know, there were a bunch of it was Iverson. There was McGregor. There was Kobe. There was Nate

take your pick. But when they would go out, there would be a there would be a oh my God,

as a concern level, like how are these seems going to play, right? And what happened is you would

just see more ball movement. You would see, you know, those teams that are overreliant start to

find other types of players and other types of pieces. And I feel like the pistons have found that,

right? They have the physicality. They have the defensive prowess with Thompson with Duran,

all the way down the line. They have great defenders. I think that they just, you know,

they just need to build on the experience from last year, right? And I think that they can,

I'd be concerned if I'm playing against the Celtics, but they, you know, this Eastern conference

is wide open. I think that they are a team that can beat the clavs of the world. They've made

it their mission to beat the shit out of the mix every time that they have played them. And

just to get that monkey off of their back, I think that they have a real, you know, chance to be

finals participants. Now, I don't know if they can win the finals necessarily, but they might be

the most well equipped team to play a Western conference foe. And that's saying a lot about where

they are in the East. Yeah, I mean, listen, I think the bar for real or fake at this time of year

is simply, can I see this team in the finals? Because I can I reasonably see them in the finals

without having to squint too hard or create a bunch of caveats or exceptions or assume that

somebody else's team bus ran into a ditch on the way to the playoffs or something, right? So

like the pistons can get there on their own without help. Are they as well equipped as the Celtics?

No, do they have as much experience as the nicks? No. Do we need to see something from them?

First, yeah, I mean, that's fair. This this iteration of the pistons is not what a playoff series

yet. They did play a very tough six game series against the nicks in the first round last year.

They could have won that series with a couple of breaks. Isaiah Stewart didn't play. I believe in

any of that series. And there was a questionable call or non-call at the end of one of those.

This is a really tough team. And like no one questions the defense of the toughness of this team.

I would just say they're completely different team than they were last year, right? And I

don't mean that they definitely personally otherwise. I mean more so of just like how many people

stepped up, right? Like Durham was basically a non-pactor in that series against the next last

year. He had some games, but one of the things that his teammates was telling them throughout all of

the last season was like we need the Durham that we see right now, right? And that's a big big

difference if they're going to play the nicks or anyone beyond. But everyone has grown into their

roles in the way that you'd expect or want a team to be able to do that that are at their age group.

Right. So I think that that's going to play a part in these playoffs with them as well.

Yeah. I mean, you could just point to like three things right off the top. A healthy Isaiah Stewart,

a evolved Jalen Durham who was in the running for all NBA. We'll see if he still makes it. Now that

there are two more guys eligible at the 11th hour. So Jalen Durham way up there in the most

improved race in all NBA consideration. Those weren't, you know, that was not the case a year ago.

And Dennis Jenkins, by the way, who who allowed the pistons to still be super competitive.

Not for all NBA Logan stop it. Uh, uh, I'm not saying like what like, yo man, it's crazy. No,

there are three. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. There are there are like of the of the various factors that they

have in their favor. No, they did not have it this time last year. Dennis Jenkins is a big one. And,

you know, just watch the way that they were able to not just survive, but thrive when Kade was out,

either during a game or during stretches when he was heard or after the collapse long. So like,

this is, you know, they they lost some key pieces. You know, Dennis Schroeder was really important

to them this time last year. But they have, you know, more than backfilled and also just evolved

because they're a young team still on the rise. Yeah. All right. Pistons are real. Let's go to the

Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs. Glad we're starting at the top of these so we can,

we can get all the the praise and gushing out of the way before we start killing people. Um,

let's do it. Those spurs are, you are real, right? Like young, but real. They haven't

won a playoff series yet. They haven't been been in the playoffs yet. They haven't had to play

off game or a playoff minute or playoff press conference yet in the Wembee era. But my god,

there is real as it gets. Um, third overall and offensive efficiency this season, third overall

and defensive efficiency, uh, do the math real quick and yeah, they're third in that rating. Third

best in that rating in the NBA. Um, this team is dominant. They're deep. They are young, but in,

in all the good ways as well as all the, uh, concerning ways. Um, they don't know what they don't

know. And also like they do have some like really important veterans mixed in, right? Like the,

we think of this team as being about Wembee first and foremost, upon Castle, Dylan Harper,

Devin Vassel, but like Deer and Fox has seen some things in this league and Harrison Barnes has

seen some things in this league like they've got some vets around them. Luke Cornett's been in a lot

of big series. So like it's actually a good mix and the young, none of the young guys actually play

like young guys. So this is going to be one of those cases where I kind of throw the old axioms out

the window about needing experience. They're just fucking tough as hell, talented, deep.

And we know what they've done to the thunder head to head this season. If you can do that,

you know, in December, I think you can do that probably in April. So, um, or May, whenever they're

going to meet, um, probably when they do meet, assuming they meet, um, middle late May. So yeah,

Spurs are real. Spurs are real. I put, and I don't want people to just get on me, including

the person that I'm talking to right now, but in my notes, I just put, I don't know, so I haven't

seen it, but I do think that they all have all the ingredients to be real. I think that's a fair

fair thing to say, right? Like I think that we've seen in previous seasons and, and, and for teams

that are special and have the ceiling of a San Antonio Spurs team. I think most recently,

the Oklahoma City Thunder in 24 where they have all the talent and in theory should be able to

beat teams, but you got to, we talked about this with the Hornets last podcast, right? Where you

got to kind of on this level, you have to believe that you are better than the rest of the,

the rest of the field. And you have to, you know, get your bearings, right? And they're going to be

able to do that because they're probably going to play either, uh, they're going to play the Portland

Trailblazers. And I think they're going to, that's, that's a good first round series to just kind of

get your feet wet in the, in the, in the, in the playoffs, right? Not to say that the Portland

Trailblazers aren't good. They do have a great defensive acumen. I just don't think they're,

I think they're on the spurs level. I think the spurs can do really well against them. I am worried,

you know, when they do get, uh, to the Denver's in the Oklahoma cities, when they do get scouted,

how they're going to do when Wimbys on the bench, all right? And how their defense is going to,

you know, be able to adjust that in a playoff setting. Um, but I, you know, they have all the

tools. They're going to be good. Then not only if they don't figure it out, go to the finals this

year, I'd fully expect them to, you know, be contending for that for the next six, seven, eight,

nine, ten years. I mean, there's nothing much more to say about the spurs, but we'll just be nitpicking

to just, I'm trying to, I'm trying, you know, try to do the, do the, do the pod justice.

The only other thing I'd say is I can't remember the last time I was this excited to see a young

team make its playoff debut, right? Like sometimes it's just intriguing because it's a young team that's

on the rise and, you know, they've got some good players and, oh, hey, let's see what they do.

Usually it's a seventh or eight to nobody, like in this league, I think we need, like, I have not done

the research for this show today, but it's super, super rare. Unless you just signed LeBron in his

prime, like the heat did back in in 2010, it's super rare to go from lottery to one of the best teams

in the NBA in a single year. And they're from Ashita classy. What's that from Ashita classy?

There you go. So like, I, like, this is super exciting. Wembe's already one of the best players on

earth, at age 22 and his third season. And the spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA,

you know, after spending years just kind of wandered around trying to find their way again. And

it's not a debut as a seventh or eight seed. It's a debut as a legit contender. That's super

fucking exciting. And I've not to dismiss the trailblazers who have had a really nice breakthrough

season, but I can't wait to get to spurs nuggets in the second round.

You know, it's funny. You did say the, just the excitement level. Usually that's like

reserved for players, right? Because I remember what a 50, uh, 2005, 2006, that was LeBron's first

playoffs at the, I was against maybe the Wizards or I forgot who he played against the first

series. But I think that, I think about the 20, uh, 2010 with the, the Oklahoma City Thunder with

Durant and James Harden and Russell Westbrook with that, I believe they were an eighth seed.

I don't think we've seen like this type of, and you know, I'm sure there's people that

are way more smarter than we are somewhere that are like, well, you remember in 72 and such and

such, did this, but like I can't, I can't remember a combination of player and then also team

and excitement level there, right? And they also have, I think about a guy like Deer and Fox

who has been to the postseason and had had some success even though they lost that postseason series,

has that experience, but he's like a second or third best player on the team, you know,

and you know, they have guys that have been there before Harrison bars. They have a great mix of

young and old. So I'm excited to see what they're going to do. Oh, real for sure. Okay, you want to,

you want to, um, you want to go, what do you want to do next? Do you want to do a, do you want to

be complimentary or do you want to be nice for like seven and a half minutes here?

It's okay for us to veer. All right, let's go to the calves. Real or fake.

It's like one of my like bubble teams like, oh, God. Now they're like realish, fakeish, right? Like

the talent is there. Like you look at and you go, oh, wow, Donovan Mitchell, that guy's awesome.

James Harden, man, Hall of Famer, Evan Mobley, uh, still evolving, but really good player. Nice.

Still evolving. Still evolving. Um,

Jared Allen, like good girl players. Jaylen Tyson's had a nice season. Like,

I, you love the outline. They got Keon Ellis. They traded for him, you know, we both,

we had both like Keon Ellis. They got Dennis Schroeder. Schroeder's a great guy to have in a playoff

series. Um, there are, there are very, very good team that are very, very good season and also

made a very dramatic trade in flipping Darius Garland, uh, who's now not making the playoffs at the

Clippers. We'll get to them eventually. Um, for Harden, I, I want to say they're real in the sense that

the requisite talent is there. The depth is there. Um, they are strong enough on both sides of the

ball to be considered legitimate. But I can, if I'm going realish, fake-ish, I'm leaning fake-ish

because while I, I, I, I think they could carve a pass to the finals. I don't trust them too.

I, like, we have seen enough seasons of James Harden in playoffs to not trust his postseason record

or, or to trust the record as opposed to the, the illusion. Um, he does not deliver when you need it

post. And the calves pre James Harden already kind of had that reputation in this iteration.

So it's just hard to buy. The talent is there. Uh, the trust is not.

The talent is there. James Harden, by the way, who has never missed a postseason in his career.

Um, the talent is there. The, I think they're coming together at about the right time too, right?

Like, you know, it's been, it feels like so long ago, but the cows are rolling before, right before

they got this, uh, got hard into the bowl. And, you know, it would seem like they have the talent

level to go to the finals. I'm never going to trust James Harden again. I'm never going to be able to

do it. It's going to have to, and the funny thing is it will be probably really fun to see James

Harden win a championship. I mean, just like, I'm sure it would be like the greatest party. It

would be lit. Like he is born to celebrate. And I kind of want to see that. But I don't think it's

ever going to happen. I think that it, I don't know. The calves are in this weird place where,

you know, they have lost in the biggest moments despite having the, the records of talent

over the last few years in heartbreaking fashion, whether it be, you know, a, a,

injury that shouldn't have happened, right? In an opportune time, you know,

Adarius Garling just mentioned him or just, just not being ready for prime time. I just don't

have the trust that they can go into Boston in a game six with a season on the line and just

go and tear their hearts out. I don't think they have killers on a team. I just don't. I think

they have regular season killers, but I don't think they have playoff killers. And that's the,

that's the distinction that really matters during this time here. Their first round matchup,

obviously, is the Raptors who will get to them in a minute. But like, you know, Toronto's like

long lot of defenders, like guys who they could really throttle Mitchell and Hardwood. Like,

there's just an area here where I don't know if the cast are out of the first round. And if they

do, then they get pistons in the second round. And then I just don't, I don't think they're

beating. No, also Toronto. That's a great six man. If you're going to try to defend Hardwood,

just the city of Toronto in general. It's a city. You know, it could really do something. I don't

know what you're suggesting. Oh, okay. All right. I forgot. You stay in your hotel room when

you go to Toronto. I forgot. You don't, you don't really, you haven't dibbled and dabbled.

So nevermind. It's fine. I love to. Oh, great city. Great food. Best city in the best city in the NBA,

especially around this time of year. If you know, you know, I say this all the time. Okay,

let's go to the, you brought them up. Let's go to the Raptors.

Well, we've dipped below the fakish line to actual fake. By the way, by the way, real quick,

on the on the Rick calves, I'm not even doing fakers. They're fake. They're fraudulent. They're

fairy dust. Did it it it. That's what it would have method because I say and people of Cleveland,

people of Northeast Ohio, let the record reflect that I at least gave them some benefit of the doubt

and Logan buried them. The bugs are tougher than the team. Okay.

Those bugs in June ain't no joke, man.

The Raptors are fake and the Raptors are fake for the following reasons.

0 and 5 against the next this season. 1 and 2 against the pistons.

0 and 4 against the Celtics. The only top four team that they had a winning record against

was Cleveland. The aforementioned Cleveland 3 and 0, but that all happened between October 31st

and I think November 24th. So like the, they haven't even played them. The Raptors haven't

even played the calves since then. So I don't know that that season series tells us much.

But if anything, after going through all those records, we know that the Raptors cannot beat

the top three teams in the East. They might beat the fourth best team. They're not beating the top three.

So they are fake by definition. That's not necessarily an insult. This is still kind of a

youngish and weirdish team. You weird roster wise. Scotty Barnes is awesome, but mostly as a

do-it-all defender and multi-tooled, multi-skilled offensive hub of sorts, but not necessarily the

guy you want as like your number one option all the time. He's not going to go throw up 25, 30

a night throughout his career and brand and ingram thinks he's that guy. RJ Barrett wanted to be that guy.

They're not the team. They're fine. They're kind of in purgatory. At least they're out of, I mean

that it's a different purgatory. It's a higher level of purgatory. The real purgatory was all those

years after the championship and the tear down and Kauai leaving. You said everything and you said

we don't even waste more time moving on on the Raptors. Love you, Canada. Love Toronto. Love

Toronto. Love it. Love it. You can just even put a pin on that. I need to go back. A, all my editors

send me to Toronto. I will be there. I know that's Beck's territory, but I will go there anytime.

Any story. Any day. Let's get messy. The Houston Rockets. Oh man. We're getting messy. All right.

Let's get messy. Yeah. I mean preseason, I would have said real.

But it's a higher on them preseason now was I didn't have that much faith in the Rockets even with

Fred Van Blee. But go ahead. You were a little higher on them than I was. I mean, I was higher. I

was higher on them. Let's actually the timeline would be this. The moment that they get Kevin

Durant hours before game seven of the NBA finals last June, I would have said real. For most of

summer, I would have said real until Fred Van Blee goes down and then I was concerned, but thought,

maybe they go out and get somebody else. They never got anybody else. The whole we'll just have

playmaking point guard by committee stuff. Maybe read Shepard steps up a men Thompson steps up.

I will figure it out. They didn't figure it out. Katie has been awesome. He's going to make the

all NBA team at age 37. Alper Shengoon is fantastic. A men feels like he's kind of plateaued a

little bit for the time being. But we've seen all their flaws from the start. We have talked ad

nauseam about their flaws on this show. Those flaws are going to be more glaring now than ever.

I hate to say at their fake. They turn them all over. They don't trust each other.

And they are not clutch. That is a terrible recipe for the environment that they are about to go

into. Shengoon has been good. But I don't at least on the floor. The players and coaches have been

so frustrated with him. How many clips are we going to see Howard of just every time Shengoon makes

a mistake? Everybody just go, oh, Jesus. Oh my God. Are you serious? This is crazy. How many times

are we going to see that? Durant has been awesome. It's been great to watch. I don't think he's

brought along the young guys in the way that you would want him to. I don't know if that's going

to be an indictment on him necessarily. I don't know. Maybe it will. Time will tell on that. But if

you'd like Juck's to pose that with, say like on the brown one to Cleveland. And you saw how the

younger guys responded to him. He was able to raise the floor of guys that you wouldn't expect

to have their floor raised. And I just haven't seen that from players alongside KD. I think that

Jabari has been great in spirts. But I think ultimately the young guys have kind of stayed the same.

And dare I say regress this season. And I think that's an indictment that can be an indictment on

Kevin just because he was there in a lot of ways to be that leader and be like, okay, these guys

are going to flourish. And I am going to be able to just kind of ride their coats out and be with

be something that they hadn't had, which was somebody that can make shots down the stretch in the

clutch. Instead, he's kind of had to be the lead dog this whole season. And his stats have been

off the charge, especially for his age. But when I feel like when the trade was made, that's not what

the plan was, right? It was more of just like, Hey, we're just going, KD is going to be somebody that

can help facilitate all this success and not have to be the base of it necessarily. And so

it's just been tough. But at the end of the day, I think it all just goes back to they turn

the ball over way too much. They don't trust each other and they don't come up big in the clutch.

And they get intimidated because they don't clut I think that, you know, that Lakers stretch,

where, you know, they were, I feel like they were the more talented team and, you know,

seem to have made the adjustments to beat the Lakers during that, that home and home stretch.

But down the stretch, they just got demoralized. And that continues to happen with good teams. And

I don't think, you know, when the chips are down that they are going to be successful. They can't

beat the Lakers though. This is because they're way more talented than them. But you know, we'll get

the Lakers in a second. But you know, when you get into the spurs, the, the, the, the, the,

the spurs, excuse me, the spurs, the start here. But when you get into with the spurs, the nuggets

and the thunder, I just don't see them trusting each other enough to beat them. Nor do they have the

talent level to do so. If the, if the rockets beat the Lakers in the first round, which is fully

plausible, second round is Oklahoma. Like that's not going to be close. I'm sorry. No. If you can't

function in crunch time, have a functional offense and figure out how to get somebody a good shot

just against the league average. Good luck getting a good shot in crunch time against the Oklahoma

city thunder. You mentioned leadership. And I'm reminded of just kind of just the idea that

leadership in the NBA falls into a lot of different categories. There are guys who are kind of

considered leaders because they're simply your best player. And that's the Kevin Durant version.

And then there's leaders by example, which is also Kevin Durant, right? Like he's going to put

in all the work and he's going to do everything right. And he's going to be a good teammate overall

burner gate notwithstanding. There's no proof. So like there's

okay. But there are guys who are leaders by personality, by force of personality, by their

communication skills, by just their inherent ability to rally guys or and in this case,

organize an offense, all of that. And that's Fred Van Blee. And I'm reminded of back when Carmelo

Anthony was in his prime, his best seasons either had Chancy Billups. And I'd be my his best seasons.

I don't mean statistically. Carmelo Anthony's best seasons. The most success he had in the post

season was when he had either Chancy Billups running point or Jason Kidd, very old Jason Kidd running

point because you needed somebody else to have the ball in their hands and to get things organized

and to also keep the store in check to tell Carmelo, no, not your turn. We got to get other guys

involved. And I don't think Durant is like Carmelo in that way necessarily. But I do think he's the

kind of guy who like, I'm going to do what I do. We all know what I can do and I can do it at any time.

But you need somebody there to make sure that the offense is humming that guys are all involved. And

that, you know, that there's somebody kind of sitting at the tone and making sure you're doing

the right things. And that's Fred Van Blee and they need him back. Yeah, but see even that. So like

I, because of all the things you said, I think you're spot on with your assessment of Kevin Durant.

But I still was kind of like even with Van Blee, Fred Van Blee in the fold. I was still kind of

dubious that it would still work out right because a lot of these guys look up to including

I'm assuming Fred Van Blee looks up to KD in a way because he's such a legend that that could

kind of nullify, you know, even leadership from another guy like a Fred Van Blee statue.

That leadership, it could nullify that leadership. I was still dubious of that. The other thing with

Kevin is, and I think you've seen it, you know, whether, you know, Berner Gate happened or didn't

happen. I think there is still a reputation of him, especially with, you know, a team like the

Rockets and also a team like the Suns where, you know, they need a stronger leader that sometimes

they don't, these young guys don't know where they stand with them, right? Because like when he

gets frustrated, he's going to talk mess about him not necessarily in Berner accounts, but like,

you know, the other people. And instead of like kind of putting his arm around them,

that did so. I think that there was a, I don't know, wrote about this. I thought there was a chance

for him to rewrite all of that. And I just don't think that the season has, he's done that. I don't

think he's rewritten anything. I think that he's just been a phenomenal basketball player,

but hasn't been able to raise the floor in the way that he should have. And I don't, and I think that

because of, he's just such a force of nature in terms of, it's like being a legend and

being a great player and being someone that guys kind of look up to. I think that,

you know, it's just disappointing that like he couldn't put this all together. And I don't want to

blame him. The season isn't over, but it's just disappointing. The season, even though they're

going into the postseason as a five seed, which should be, you know, pretty good. It just seems

kind of like a disappointment waiting to happen. So we'll see what happens. But, uh, fake on my end.

All right, let's go to a, let's go to a quick break. And I think Jeremy has a pack watch for us.

We'll see. What up? You know who it be? Joe me back for another year of

I don't only have one question for you, Clipper fans out there. Why? Why must you do this to yourself?

Why must you hurt yourself? So you know, being a Clipper's fan is optional, right? You don't have

to do this. You could live your life free of this pain that you have burdened yourself with.

Because remember, fandom is a choice. You could have been a legged fan, but you were like, oh,

no, I want to be cool. I want to be hip. I want to pay $13 for a cheeseburger with no fries and no

condiments. Yeah. You know who you are. You wanted to be hipster. You want to be cool. And now

you're suffering here in the mud because you made the wrong decisions that again, you didn't have to

make being a Clipper fan. It lost Angeles is like living in, in, it's like living in LA and being

like, I hate to beach. I hate to sand. I hate to sun. At first, I was like, man, I feel bad for

y'all, but I don't. I actually don't because again, it's a choice and you chose wrong. And it's

unfortunate, but hey, maybe you know what? I'm being too negative. So let me leave with a level of

positivity. Let me be as helpful and as nice as I can be, right? I'm not always negative. Okay? I

could be kind. Okay? Clipper fans, if you're listening, okay? Go chase your dreams. All right? Go plant

those seeds. Okay? Branch out and believe in your aspirations. This episode is brought to you by

Amazon Prime. Ever find yourself scrambling to grab that special something for a last minute

party? A spontaneous date or even at impromptu game night at home. That's when Prime's same day

delivery swoops in that essential item you thought she'd miss delivered the plans saved the

win secured. Because with Prime's same day delivery, you can grab it and go before the moment passes

you by. Same day delivery, it's on prime. Visit amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items

delivered fast, available in select areas, terms apply. All right, the New York Knicks, go to your

backyard. I'm just going to seed the floor to you because this is all you right here. This is

your whole bag. New York Knicks real quick. You tell yourself no one wants your college

era bantees, but on D-Pop, people are searching for exactly what you've got. You once paid a small

fortune for them at merch stands. Now, a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small

fortune back. Sell them easily on D-Pop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest.

Who knew your questionable music taste would be a money making machine? Your style can make you

cash. Start selling on D-Pop. Where taste recognizes taste. Here we go. We're back in that fuzzy

middle real-ish, real-ish. I like of the top teams in the east, the case for the Celtics is strongest

for reasons we will eventually get to. The case for the pistons is really strong for reasons we've

already covered. The case for the calves is getchy for reasons we've already covered. The Knicks,

like you can see it and yet they're best you can really see it. When Brunson and Cat are in sync,

when Cat is actually engaged on every possession, when OG and an OB is just fricking terrorizing

dudes at the other end and making those corner threes, when Bridges is on, when Josh Hart is making

threes, which happened a lot in the last month, and when he's at his defensive best, like that,

their trio of wing defenders and an OB, Bridges Hart at their best is incredible. I think

you know throwing Mitchell Robinson and his rebounding and his possession saving and his possession

extending and the physicality and some of the rim protection. All the elements are there, Logan.

The Knicks absolutely can make the finals. I don't think that's in question. The only reason I go

real ish is because this is another one of those trust issues. We've seen a couple years of this.

How much do we trust Carl Anthony Towns, especially in the most important times of a game or a series?

How much are they going to get from Mitchell Robinson? Because they've had to play him, they've had

to really be careful with his minutes, conservative with his playing time all season because of his

injury history. A lot of interesting pieces on the bench. It's not clear which combination they can

lean on day in day out. Mike Brown has had to kind of mix and match a lot, which I think is a

strength of his frankly that he is really given everybody some time. And I think any of them

could be ready because of that. But it's not clear to me who their best combination of six, seven,

eight guys is. And then they also have, you know, going back to last year, just like a really bad

net rating overall with their preferred starting five that they still stubbornly stick to. So

there are questions. But this next team did wipe out a couple of 20 point deficits against the

Celtics and knocked them out last year. And they were going to win the game even before Tatum went down.

So they can beat the Celtics. They can beat the pistons. They did it last season.

Obviously, this is a better version of the pistons. But the NYXR are real to real ish.

I would say right. I mean, and they, you know, they're three and one against the Celtics this season.

They have the Hawks first round. If they win, they play the Celtics second round.

They have a path to the finals too in theory, right? Hopefully they could figure it out. But I'm with

you on all those accounts, right? Like I am dubious of the long term success of Cat in the current

role that he has, right? Like I just don't see the consistency. But they have the Celtics number

that is that is there's something to be said about that. Tatum has been good. But I don't know

just in, you know, I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll talk about the Celtics in the next as the next

team. But you know, his Achilles hasn't been tested in a playoff format yet. So we'll see what happens.

But I do think they have the path. I'm going to say real just based on where they are in the

playoff picture. I'm going to just lean towards real just in their path because they're on the

completely other side of the bracket in the pistons. And if they see the pistons in the conference

finals, we don't know what version of the pistons that's going to be even though the pistons have had

their number. But I'm just going to go real with the next. We'll see what happens. Celtics.

The real is hell. Come on. Like I don't think we should mess around here. It wasn't a gap year.

Apparently, they have been great all year. Jalen Brown went from, you know,

perennial all NBA consideration and occasional all NBA player to MVP candidate. And I know

some of the advanced numbers don't cast him the greatest light. I know there are still some holes

there. All that stuff. Jalen Brown had an incredible fucking season before Tatum got back.

And then any questions we had about Jason Tatum, we've had we have a full month of sample size now

to see that Jason Tatum. If he's not 100% back, he's like in the high 90s. And like you when you

watch him play, if you just turned on some highlights, unless you were like the most discerning,

you know, Tatumologist or a lifetime professional scout, I don't know who could notice a substantial

difference, a qualitative difference in Jason Tatum's game now versus before the Achilles. The dude

has been incredible. And then you've got all the guys who stepped up in his absence, you know,

Peyton Pritchard, Derek White, Nemias Cata, former Sacramento King, Nemias Cata.

Yeah, everybody who lives here. Everybody who lives sack flourishes. I was going to say,

I mean, I think he was his transformation. Like we all talk about Jalen Brown's transformation.

Nemias Cata has been amazing. He's probably been the biggest ex-fact of this season,

right? Because it's one of those things where you look at the roster preseason, you're like, okay,

we're just going to have to ride Jalen Brown. I don't know if we're going to have a front court.

We'll see what happens. And Cata has been awesome. He's been, you know, kind of nullified the impact

of vooch being down for so long, right? And being injured. And yet we have a they it's something.

I was just going to say like vooch is an afterthought. They don't even need vooch. They don't need them.

They don't. He's a stretch. He's a stretch big. Cata's the guy who's actually enabled them to

still be them because of everything he does on the interior and defensively and rebounding wise

that vooch never did in the first place. So I don't even know exactly. And they got to this.

And they got up off of Anthony Simons and like basically have an expiring contract right now.

They're doing the Celtics are doing great on and off the floor front office and coaching staff

and players and kind of spin humming. But I just I think that he has been the ex-factor of this

season. Jalen Brown, you kind of if you know you know he could get to that point of being a

superstar, right? Especially after getting finals MVP, especially over the years when you

have seen him play without Jason Tatum and you know take on that mantle and be that superstar,

right? And I'm ever seen a game that Jalen played against sack in 23 where I think Tatum was out

and he just balled. It's had like 30 something points and you could tell that he has a different

type of command over this team when he's at the forefront, right? I'm not only scared of the

Celtics right now. I'm scared of them over the the next few years they haven't missed a beat

and they've also reinvented themselves at a time when you kind of need to we've talked about this

all the time on real ones where in this apron era you have to reinvent yourself around stars

and you know, Kita's a great version of that right where you're just finding guys you kind of just

have to find it to be really really nimble and yeah, man they could fuck around and get to the

finals. I don't know if they can win the finals but they could definitely fuck around and get there.

I think everybody expects the winner of the championship is coming out of the west but you know

whatever you make the finals and you've got it you've got a fighting chance. I think you know

so first of all Celtics second and offensive rating this season fourth and defensive rating

and fourth and net rating and that was almost entirely without Jason Tatum like that is

fucking incredible to be top four in both offense and defense after not having Tatum but also like

letting out Horthorne walk trading porzingus, Cornet walking, Drew Holiday out like they did as you

said they reinvented themselves and it's been super impressive. I think two things hold people back

on the Celtics just broadly. I think it's the this is a different version and there are guys

in different roles now and Tatum just got back a month ago all that stuff and then there's still

a little of that lingering of what the fuck happened to them against the next last year when they were

you know, you know, by any other measure other than the series series ledger you would have said

the Celtics were the better team but they blew 20 point leads twice they're three point shooting

just completely went away and I don't want to say that that was fluky but it was situational

and a little strange and the nicks have something to do with it but a lot of it was just like the

Celtics just coming apart. Well the other things always are prone to do that though right like you

saw that in the 22 finals right you see that in the 23 conference finals and like they that's something

that will give me pause too is that they have especially when the three point shot isn't going down

right they get a little giddy they get a little tight right when things aren't going their way

they're not as free-flowing but they are prone to these like what the hell is going on type

performances they are prone to that for sure but but they also just did win a championship two years

ago and the most important elements of that team I mean I'm not to diminish true holidays

importance to that team but like Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum are both still there Derek White is

still there and this is the team that I think everybody else in the east including the piston should

be worried about the most sure sure and they might be the I think them in the pistons are I think

the most well equipped team to play against the team in the in the western conference right and

also by the way the same conversations that we were we're having right now about you know the east

first the west we were having about them last year and the eastern conference team could have

and maybe should have won the title last year just saying just food for thought and that wasn't

even the best team that we thought was the best team coming out of the east and the Pacers in

preseason of last season so this is food for thought we'll see what happens this fight that's why

you play the game oh should we close out the east we've only got one team left that we haven't hit we

were and and so far we're only doing the top six in each conference because seven and eight seats are

cannon fodder as I always say and recording this on a Thursday and recording this before we know

the end of the game play it is not done yet but also those teams are our cannon fodder sorry

let's let's talk about the hawks we're quick then really fake there we go is a safe fake and I'm not

and I'm that's no disrespect to them I just don't think they're they're real they haven't they

didn't beat anybody down the stretch of the season of the season despite their run they have one

of the easiest schedules and I think they're just going to get beat but they have a bright future ahead

of them is that a great scout report for the hawks look they're fake but only because they're young

slash new this is their first playoffs since 2023 they missed the last two

here are their leading scores from the last time they were in the playoffs you ready wait

it's only it's only three years ago I guess yeah we said three years ago right yeah 2023

tray young obviously leading score in in that season yes you john Collins playoffs

john Collins yes okay this is going to be a tricky one who was on that team Kevin Hurtler

no bogged down bogged out of itch was part of that team yes they're they're for the elite

score of the playoffs shit I don't know I got I'm got one two out of three though these were the leading

scores in the playoffs in order tray young de jonte Murray oh go deandre hunter

I don't know he's going to be someone to cast didn't we we thought he was going to like just be a star

on it didn't work out Clint Capella Cedique Bay on yucca Congu

jalen johnson was their ninth leading score and in his second season the last time the

Hawks were in the playoffs in 2023 now flash forward jalen johnson of course is their leading score

their franchise star everything else the key lxander walker is number two sage and mac column

o'connello kubinga and and and dyson daniels so like this is a completely different Hawks team

than the last time they were in so when I say that they're fake because they're young and new

it's a lot of new more than just young they're not super young um but they're youngish

and they've never been the playoffs in in this grouping before this iteration

but they're really good and they're really talented and I do think they're going to give the next

all they can handle in the first round how about that we'll see that'd be fun great job yeah

now let's go to the western conference because we just have a lot to talk about it's going to be

one of them long real and so just buckle up um like three teams to go yeah the Oklahoma City Thunder

absolutely I mean I don't think we have to like I don't even think we have to do too much time on

them but because they're they're so real they're really can get um I am concerned about them now

in some ways like if they play against obviously put they play against the spars you know spars

this matchup so well with them um the anecdotes of that though is shagil kisal examiner who has

just put on another level down the stretch since he came back from injury right like it just seems

like he hovers over the rest of the league in terms of that dude conversation and um that's going

to mean something when the spars play against okc if and when they do um and uh I think that they

have that I think that going into the playoffs even despite the nuggets um you know in their run

I still put give Oklahoma City the edge in a playoffs series against those two teams

I think you know they're well in their way to going back to back um so we'll see what happens

but I think of the real they have the depth they also have uh the reinvention getting jr

mccan I think he's going to be really good this uh postseason and the reinvention because all

their young guys from last year have just taken a leap and so they're right in prime position

um obviously they're real they're real than real there is real as it gets we don't need to

establish why the thunder as defending champs and with the defending MVP who may go back to back

we don't have to establish why they're real so I think the the question here is more of

what are their biggest biggest concerns um jdub jalen Williams played only 33 games this year

it's only played nine games since january 17th that's three months ago shot 30% from three this year

and in the seven games since his most recent return because he's been in out all season in the

seven most recent games after being out 15 points of game 56% from two but 23% from three

so I'm curious what version of jdub will see can he get all the way back in the course of these

playoffs but they've got a jmitschal and other guys who have emerged and as you mentioned they picked

up jared mccan and they've just you know the isa joe's and the case and wallases and everybody else

like this is just a team with a lot of different ways they can go and as long as she is on the court

and he'll be on the court that much more in the playoffs um you know everybody else's job is that

much easier there's a lot of open shots to go around and shake and manufacture anything in any time

I'm not concerned overall about them they are as real as it gets we did do at the ringer.com

today we had our our playoff entry survey in which we once again had to predict the finals

preseason I went nuggets over calves I think don't laugh um and my nuggets pick was about

taking the field versus the thunder because we're in an era of incredible parity and nobody repeats

so I was I'm just you know the the cases to go for the odds um and I I repeated a version of that

for our entry survey on the ringer.com today which was nuggets over Celtics this time um

I'm still just taking the field and the nuggets are really good and they've got Yokech who by some

measures may still be the best player on earth uh or no worse than one of the top two and

like I just I just think the thunder there's a there's always a war of attrition you fight

when you are the defending champions because of all the games you played because of the efforts you

get from opponents because just of the gauntlet you've got to get through and there are two legit

other contenders in the west right now in the spurs and nuggets they only have to play one of them

because the way that the bracket fell but um still I I I do think this is going to be a tougher run

for the thunder. I will say this the hard part about this right now it's like I don't know I'm

making a noise I think Cliff is gonna get it I don't know if you're gonna get it back but

when like when 50 cent was on his like mixtape run back in the day there was a fear in New York

about when he is going to make a LP right and make his for any amount of being given at your

diet trying right now the spurs are 50 cent in their mixtape area which means that everybody knows

that they are going to be something so they better get their albums out and they better have their

success right now before you know shit gets real and I think you're seeing that spurs boogie man

being the elephant in the room and I say I'll have to say this the thunder better go get

they championship the nuggets better this is the last I think they last great chance for the

nuggets to get their championship um and everybody else in the west this is their best chance

because the spurs are going to be here and they're going to be here to stay and I think you're

starting to feel that that that kind of that tension you're gonna feel that tension during this

postseason series where it's like uh all right this is our last best shit we got it we got to go

balls at a wall and I think that that's going to kind of carry the thunder in this postseason this

is my I'm not gonna say this is their last shot but this is this is this is the time to do it if

you're gonna do it it's funny because I applied that exact logic to the nuggets in another item in

today's playoff entry survey it uses the 50 cent tool moving on um

um

we were asked who's got the most at stake which player has the most at stake um in this postseason

and I I went a little off the board here with Yochich like he has his MVP's he's got his championship

and his finals MVP but if he ever wants a second ring much less a thirder or more like the time

is now because the thunder are younger and deeper and with all the tools to keep improving the

spurs are younger and deeper with all the tools to keep improving and if the nuggets want to actually

get another championship in the Yochich era and you never know what you're malmurry because of his

health issues and his up and down career you never know with Aaron Gordon and his hamstrings

like the time is now for for the nuggets for the reasons you were just stating because of a

dual boogie man which is the thunder still existing and the spurs on the rise so um yeah it makes

things awfully tough if you're anybody else in the western conference to kind of plot out the

next five years all right let's go to the nuggets who I by definition of this exercise are real

right and I think I want to speak back to that uh urgency that we just both talked about and I

think you're starting to see that during the back stretch of the nugget season right where they

go on this incredible run what they win 11 straight 11 12 straight and you know they're kind of

being the nuggets bullshit in their way through the regular season now there's a bit more nuance

to this version of that that which they had a lot of injuries but they bullshit figure themselves

out or the nuggets going into the postseason now how long that's what that's going to be for this

season this postseason remains to be seen but I think you do see a lot of that urgency what's

what's scary is I just this is the team that I probably just don't want to play I don't really

want to fuck with the nuggets in the postseason whether I am the Oklahoma City Thunder or whether

I'm the San Antonio Spurs because I've said this all season I said if the nuggets were whole I think

they're the anecdote to what these spurs do and we've seen just how awesome those matchups can be

but I think that they're real I think Gordon's coming in back at the right time I think that

you know they trust each other they're just they're they are in the mix for a reason they had

their their struggles but they're back I'm scared to scared as hell to play them out back

yes all of that um the nuggets are super real number one and offensive efficiency this season

21st in defense and yet somehow still seventh in that rating um the defense of rating look

the their defense in general for throughout the Yokecchera obviously has been a concern and at

their best they're elite offensively and maybe middle of the pack defensively you're you're

never gonna see them be great defensively but like Aaron Gordon's absence for long stretches this

season Peyton Watson's absence for long stretches this season including by the way I don't know

what the latest is on him right now as we speak but Peyton Watson's missed a ton of games with a

hamstring but like when those two guys are on the court they have a respectable defense and when

they're not they can struggle but offensively like they're just a fucking machine and Jamal Murray's

had an outstanding season um even with Luca and and Kate cutting him back on the ballots I think

Jamal Murray should make all NBA um but they're there is real as it gets like cam johnson kind of you

know settled in found his way with them and the season looks a lot different for them statistically

record wise and everything else if not for Yokecch missing a month uh which put him on the bubble of

that 65 game discussion for the longest time too so um all that said nuggets are super real I can't

wait to see round two with nuggets spurs and then eventually one of those teams playing the thunder

like those are like those are the best series that we should get this postseason yeah um let's go

to the timber wolves they're not real I said maybe yeah but they're just they're not do you want

to call them not real or are you actually gonna call them fake or was it is this the kind kind of

the stick kind one because I think that I think that a player a team with Anthony Edwards does

deserve the benefit of the doubt right especially you know and has beaten the nuggets right like

and it it wasn't that long ago when he did that and it was crazy it was I think that was 24 where

you know that was kind of um and Edwards is like coming out party on a postseason scale right um

they've just had so many injuries and I don't know their continuity going into this season

um or going into this postseason excuse me and they got a nuggets team that is red hot um

and one of the reasons uh the the timber wolves beat the nuggets a few years ago because the

nuggets were just gassed man you could just see it in that game seven when they beat them

they're getting nuggets early they're getting nuggets with with the rest they're getting a

nuggets team that is red hot I just think the matchup is bad like if they were to play um the rockets

or the lakers then we would be having a different discussion but just the matchup in the first round

yeah it's just tough for them I do well I I I I caution and I I really am scared to call them fake

because like I just said aunt beat this team right and this it was a different team you know

cat was on that team that won um and he was awesome in that game seven um I just caution to just

say fake because they do have an Edwards who is a you know top seven player elite

we we can make this a pretty simple kind of framework here um so that we're not insulting anybody

but really when it comes down to it in the west if you're not the spurs thunder or nuggets

you're falling into the fake category because nobody else I just cannot see that anybody else

is coming out of that conference um I made them fake-ish the wolves it's kind of like like

you like all respect for Anthony Edwards but um it's hard to bank on a team whose second best

player is Julius Randall Rudy Gober I don't know who their second best player is on a given

night it might be Nasrid it might be McDaniel's like it might be Bones Highland it might be uh

I think it might be like you don't know yeah like um I think they still need a point guard type we

had this whole discussion about the rockets but apply everything I said about the rockets to the

wolves on some level um they need Mike Conley from 10 years ago not Mike Conley who they

keep re-acquiring and uh you know you know leaning on they're just they're struggling with that

that gringo bear trade right like just they can't it's hard for them to kind of replenish it is

yeah yeah it's it's the ghost that I trade listen man they made a couple of conference finals and

it's it like they they should make they should have more playoff runs in them more deep playoff runs

in them but it's it as with everybody else it's just going to be really tough when you're staring

up at what the thunder and spurs have built what the nuggets still are uh so yeah um wolves that will

give us an entertaining series or maybe two but um do not expect to see them for long

speaking of tough do you talk about the Los Angeles Lakers who we all I'm sure we both

can agree that they're fake but is there a chance is there a chance Howard Beck that they can

embarrass the rockets embarrass the rockets hmm um look uh what happened

that the NBA was able to uh through logic or the goodness of Adam Silver's heart or something

Grant Luca Donchitch eligibility for postseason awards they could not

cannot grant him full health um if only if only somebody could wave a magic wand for the Lakers and

make Luca and Austin Reeves healthy if we're not seeing them in the first round and I don't think we are

um you know I I don't like it's the rockets and we don't trust the rockets so okay coin flip

the Lakers rocket series but no I don't really expect a Lakers team without two of their

three best players and no real depth to make it out of the first round and even if they do

they're gonna get smoked in the second round so yeah the Lakers are fake well they're fake but is

I think they're they're fake I'm just saying with the batship right now what chance do you give

them a beating the rockets I give them a chance to beat the rockets yeah sure but I don't

they're not going to be honest I'm just talking about this series right here they're not

either going past the second round if they do beat the rocket I'm talking about this series right

now is there a chance because I think there's a there's a chance there's a there's a chance

there's a they would have to have full mind control over them like LeBron has to go back a few years

and this is by like by be is a chance for the LeBron's last great series I'm just saying a lot of

ifs were a fifth I don't think it's gonna happen I'm just saying the rockets are a team that I

don't think have the mental strength to go on a run right and you can get it in their head

and all that to say like you know maybe the the Lakers could exploit that if the Lakers were the

kind of like tough-minded consistent tenacious defensive team that could make the rockets get out

of character sure but I don't need the Lakers have any of them they don't have the yeah so

they they they they and exactly the pistons um so no I it would be really nice if we actually had

um the Lakers at full strength right now just because it would be a more interesting series

at minimum we are getting KD versus LeBron this is the fourth edition of that rivalry in the

postseason in the course of their careers you know going all the way back to LeBron beating Durant

Heat versus Thunder in the 2012 finals two and one right yeah because Katie didn't want the two

yeah Warriors Cav series in the finals um this is probably the last time we see these two battle

in the playoffs so I'm going glass half full on that part of it yeah I'm excited to see it

even though it's it man I feel like we're just robbed of a potentially great series

that I think that's what I'm just most disappointed about injury stop um okay

let's get to row one of the week we have me and Howard both have this is going to be a little

mini segment we both have rowing the week uh invested in this game um let's just talk

I've got my rowing the week is the Warriors um we're going to talk Warriors Clippers for a second

it was just watching last night's game I don't know how late you stayed up for this and I'm

sure you did because I think you got you texted this afterwards but um it felt like one of those

the games that the Warriors tend to have every few seasons even when even when they're down right

like I think I had visions of the game game five in Toronto and the NBA finals right where they

have no business winning those games and they just had the heart of fucking Lions and they just pull

it out in the last seconds and then Steph his exploits Steph and Jareemond and Steve like they're

on the backstretch I don't even I hate even saying backstretch of a dynasty because the dynasty is over

but like you start seeing sparts of what they can be when they just say we don't give a fuck we're

just gonna play pick and roll and we're just going to just outwill you and that's what they did

the Clippers last night that's what makes NBA basketball great and that's it was just it was I

think it was just dope to see that performance this late stage of where they are in their run and

the Clippers are the biggest fucking frauds in the league that is crazy how they did that that

was crazy that was utterly just insane Howard I cannot believe my eyes when it because

the Warriors lose that if the Warriors lose that game no harm no foul like you know they they don't

have they they they Steph hasn't fucking played in two months you know he finally played a little bit

in sparse but still is dealing with remnants of that runners knee Przinga's could state in the line

up for more than two games because of his health but they just said fucking we're just gonna go beat

this team and they went and gone and did it and the Clippers should be ashamed of themselves

oh oh Clippers

uh incredible incredible Warriors like the the last one of the all-time great wins of their their run

to be honest this late stage run but I think it's one of their all-time best wins

it this was more of a fun throwback let's let you know watch Steph do his magic in the final

minutes of a game and Dremon just lock somebody up it was like it was more that

than it was about the Clippers right like this is like we will we're not gonna remember that

game for what the Clippers did or didn't do they've had a really weird season they have been one

of the better teams in the NBA the last few months and uh certainly I expected more of them I

expected them to at least make the playoffs and to be one of those tough outs in the first round

but ever since aspiration that scandal hit and the cloud that that's put over them the

hardened for Garland trade that came out of nowhere um they you know then they they they offload

zoo botch they're in this weird transitional phase like it's just been a weird season for the Clippers

overall but that was dude that was just awesome awesome display awesome throwback awesome night period

by Steph Curry and by the words as a whole and if we don't get any more of those or very few of

those left in the next year or whatever then you know we're gonna still point to that one to go man

that was that was really fun you don't have to be a warrior's fan to have enjoyed that the look

on Jimmy Butler space at one point after one of those shots they just like zoned in on him and he's

just like like and it and it's a yo this is why we get tricked into like believing that they're

gonna go make a make a run every bucket year and January we're like oh the warriors are coming man

they're on their way because no other team gives us gives us the feeling that the warriors give

you when they're on right no like it just doesn't happen right they've looked terrible during stretches

this year by the way they still have one more game to play against Phoenix and I mean there's a

world where they beat Phoenix it's just is what it is they can they can they can somehow get to the

postseason but they tend to have these types of performances in the they're they're far

infe between now but when they have them you're like I remember this feeling this feels familiar I

remember feeling this like when they had a opening night against the Lakers in 21 where I was like oh

an old friend is back nice to see it let's let's let's see how far this can go yeah um

there are moments last night horror for sitting shots poor zingers is sitting shots

Steph is doing stuff things dream on locking up co-Island and you're looking at it and you're going

what if they had a full season of these guys could they get a full season this guy

yeah that happens when you think it likes bad zingers is second huge three I was like oh shit if

you play 70 games they're they're gonna win 55 games next year and he's not going 70 games but like

is that um you could see why they think poor zingers is such a great fit and why they

accurately thought horror to be a great fit and you just got to get enough games out of these guys

and should be butler's got to get back and all that stuff but yeah to your point like this is how

you get sucked in and it's I think it's it's an emotional ask a piece of this where they trick you

into it yes but there's a logical piece of it too where you're like I know it's a lot to ask of

that team at that age all those ages and all the injury histories to get through 82 game season

and then multiple rounds of a playoffs next year when they're all even a year older um but that's

fine we it's it's fun to think about and you can see the outline of it and we'll see in the meantime

that was an awesome performance and I just want to say like to the clippers of it all um yeah another

clipper crash and burn I think appropriate considering where they are in this trajectory where this

all began with all the hope in the world in 2019 when they got co-violent and Paul George

Paul George has gone co-ias still there everybody else is different like when we do the typical

clippers type of of commentary it ain't unless we're gonna blame the jersey or the ghost of Donald

Sterling or something it's not the same clippers like the guys who who gagged last night co-wide

Leonard is the only one who has any responsibility for all their gag jobs of the last five six years

after that it's like dearest garland just got there a few months ago didn't Benedict

Mathur just got there a few months ago John college just got there back last summer brook Lopez

just got there all these dudes are new so I don't know how we blame that this is it is it a clipper

curse it's a clipper curse it has like when you said that I remember I called it I said I said

quote in our text exchange and in the chat the the clippers are the biggest frauds at the last six

years right and I think now you know that it's it's a new day in that you know I kind of have

my thoughts percolating in there and they're kind of straight ahead that was that was last night when

you know I was kind of like wobbly you know the real ones after dark were kind of just like you know

we're fucked up now kind of have a little bit more focus and I still say that they are the

biggest frauds at the last six years and not only that it's the jersey it's something about this

team they have new ownership they have a competent front office they have a competent coach a confident

staff they have one of the greats of all time it doesn't matter it's like the cubs before they

figured this shit out right it's just like perpetually or dare I say the boss in red socks before

they got their shit together it's just it's it's it's just the ethos in there they're the clippers

they're that's what it was right because yeah the clippers are a better team the golden state warriors

that doesn't matter in a one game playoff though does it I mean it just doesn't it doesn't matter

it's who's best this isn't even good I will just say this and this is not a consolation this is

a reality last night won't even be their biggest disappointment or loss of the year because that's

still coming there's there's an aspiration conclusion coming sometime the next couple of months

and when it comes I think the hammer's coming down and I think there's there's going to be a lot

of fallout and we'll see what the clippers look like in October when it's time for our season previews

again and what's left of them yeah we'll be in LA for that so what's that'll be that'll be poetic um

did you didn't you have a role in the week related to this that you wanted to share with the

people I do I do in fact um I was up last night to watch the bitter end for the clippers of that

game I was there to watch all all the the warriors joy and as I'm winding down before I went to bed

I did see pop on social media that mr. Chris Paul had weighed in not verbally but just with an

image a meme as your kids call it um it's the meme of the dude in his suit and his sunglasses

and his hands clashed together standing outside the church after the funeral that guy I don't

know if there's a name for that meme I don't know if there's contact I don't even care

if there's contact for that meme we all know what it means um Chris Paul is that it's it's it's

petty as fuck but this is a real one of the week segment and whatever you might think of Chris Paul

posting that oh it's class and this oh it's this it's that what um folks that was Chris Paul

Chris Paul is being real he's showing you what what he thinks who he is and how he feels about the team

that uh summarily cut him back in December and ruined his nice happy homecoming so uh Chris

Paul is my real one of the week um that's that's also the clippers in a nutshell your best

player in franchise history became a warriors fan

no he's just crapping on you in general hey it didn't matter who beat them last night

he he just wanted to bury me but it just happened to be with the words it's just you know

life's a complete circle sometimes it's crazy that's just it's just it's wild it is wild

I clipped real quick um what's bros name he's from charlotte that I want to get his name on here

his name is forgot his name what is his name the dude in the funeral meme

I don't know his name either you from charlotte I see him every anyway bros from charlotte who did the

meme I forgot it and you know maybe I'll do it in post when I figured out maybe I'll do that in

there uh but yes this it was hilarious that's why you don't do that to players that are pillars of

your team and your franchise you don't do shit like that because now everybody's gonna see

around and we see how you treat your stars man clippers are down bad bro it's just it's something

it's something out there it's not even something to water because LA is a great place you know

it's something about the clippers though it's something about them one other thing like

we're on off the rails here but I just want to say this before we get out of here another

row in the league my dog june bug from richman california he is an influencer down there in LA

and he was actually um he was sitting court side and he told Steph to do uh the june bug dance

after a three after his next three and that's the one where they go like this

and Steph hit the three and did the june bug and you know shout out to that that's real Bay

area symmetry right there so shout out to my dog june bug real richman shout out to Steph for you

know hold it it down for the bay um then that was a great moment did you see the guys back in the

Amazon studio uh trying to uh do you ever love it that was fun yeah I did that was that was good man

you know hey it was a good night it was it was a fun night it was hilarious night um it was all

about by the way june bug did that whilst wearing a clippers jersey which is I don't know if that's

traitor or what maybe he was trying to check but you know still a lovely boy um all right that's

been another edition of real ones or annual playoff edition of real or fake um man we're getting

ready man makes you tap in real is male bagage email dot com rim was my bagage email dot com real ones

male bagage email dot com um we'll see you on Tuesday rogers back uh all the shits bye

you

enjoy more ways to save at ralves like low prices in every aisle and when you download the

ralves app you can clip and save more with digital coupons every week plus you can earn fuel

points to save up to one dollar per gallon at the pump at ralves you can enjoy more ways to save

and more rewards every time you shop so it's always easy to save big every day with savings and

rewards ralves so cal for over 150 years savings may vary by state fuel restrictions apply see site for

details