The Rich Eisen Show Basketball Podcast S2 E1. Draymond Green situation, NBA Western and Eastern Conference previews

Hey, what's up everybody? We're back.

It's the Rich Eisen Show Basketball Podcast. We're back. Adam and TJ and the NBA is back and it's great to see you guys. It's been a long off season. Season two, is that what we're calling this? Season two?

2.0. The deuce. What's up guys? Happy NBA tip-off. Good to see you guys. What's going on, man?

I mean, I see you every day, but... Happy the season is back. We're back. It was a long NBA off season. So much happened, but now we're back.

NBA tip-off last night, Boston beats Philadelphia and the Warriors have their ring ceremony and take out the Lakers who, oh my gosh, they're going to be terrible. Let's just start with the whole Golden State stuff. Everything that would happen with Draymond Green and Jordan Poole and the video coming out and the non suspension, I guess he was fine. Then he took some time off and then he released that bizarre kind of 21 minute documentary that aired on TNT. Like, so maybe they're complicit now because he works with them sometimes.

It seemed like he wasn't that remorseful, more so just that maybe he tried to play it off like he was the victim because we all saw it. I don't know what you guys think of that. And, and this whole situation that's gone on in the last couple of weeks with Golden State, Adam, what's your take on all of this?

Okay. So you guys know that I am a dream on green apologist. I'm a huge fan of his.

I always have been. He's one of those guys that reminds me of Dennis Rodman, where you hit him. If he's not on your team, you love him.

If he's on your team. That being said, what he did was absolutely wrong. It was one of the worst things you can do, but at the same time, I think people are overreacting to it in a weird way. You know, Michael Jordan punched Steve Kerr in the face back in the nineties.

So this is not unprecedented. Teammates have done this to their teammates before. And I think clay was talking about it last night that winning cures all. And if this team goes on a, you know, a five, 10 game winning streak, I think eventually this will be forgotten. He obviously owes the team and Jordan pull an apology, which I'm sure he's, he's done.

But I think that the warriors will be fine. And Joe Lake was interviewed and they asked him why he didn't suspend Draymond for the first game. And he said that he earned that ring ceremony. And I agree with him on that. Draymond is part of the original core.

They have won four championships with him and he earned that ring ceremony. I don't think he should have been suspended for that game. So I agree with what they did. I think everything's going to be fine with this team and it's a learning experience for them. I think they'll be fine.

Man, really? You think this is just nothing. It's ultimately just nothing. Ultimately. No, I think Jordan pool, he got his money. He got a huge contract. After this happens, he's going to be making a million thoroughly over $30 million a year. And Draymond knows his role.

He plays it perfectly. And yeah, I just don't think it's going to be that big of an issue long term. I really don't. TJ, I always love your perspective on this stuff because it's not, you know, you know, it's not as kind of reactionary and is kind of, I don't know. However, my take on things are, you know, like you kind of take a minute, pause, think things through. And I, and I appreciate that about you, even though it's, you know, much different than, than how I normally go about things. Because, you know, half the time I'm doing the thing and half time, I kind of really believe that. But how are you seeing this whole, whole Draymond thing? And do you agree with Adam that it's ultimately kind of nothing? Honestly?

Okay. So when it first happened, you hear about it, right? You're like, okay, whatever something happens, then you see the video and it's just like, damn bro. Like you jawed this dude.

It looks like if the wall wasn't there, he might've been knocked out. So of course now the video pops out. Now there's uproar and outrage, right? And it, but it seemed like most of the uproar situated around the fact like how this video get out. It's like people seem like they were more mad that the evidence was released to the public than of the actual crime that was committed.

Right. That being said, I had an opinion and then over the days that went by Paul got his money. He seemed to, I don't want to say he seemed to forgive Draymond because his statement didn't really seem like he did.

He was just willing to like, kind of like move on past it. But, and then you get all of these other athletes who come out and tell you that, Hey man happens all the time happens all the time. So it's just funny because people were acting like it happens all the time.

Like every day somebody's getting their jaw every single team, every single day in practice, every single sport fighting every single sport, but someone's getting knocked out. Now, now here's the deal though, right? So thinking about that, I look at it this way. Okay. If every athlete, the majority of them, which by the way, how many athletes have really damned Draymond for this? If you think about it, not a whole lot, right?

Yeah. Like there's been a few people, sports writers, analysts and stuff that like they took, it seems as almost like they took, you know, took it more personally than Jordan Poole. They got hit, you know, but the bottom line is, is look, if Jordan Poole's not making a big deal about this and the Warriors are fine with it. I'm not going to sit here and like carry over some fake like outrage just, you know, the talk about it on the air.

Like if they don't care then I surely don't care. So I've moved on past it and just simply because I was watching a video today with Steve Smith on Shannon Sharpe's podcast and Steve Smith talked about how he backhanded a teammate in film session because he dropped the pass and him and the guy, I don't know who it was. Somebody said it was Rake Ruth. Not sure. He and the guy didn't like each other already. Musha Mohammed's running the film room. Steve drops a pass. The guy tells Musha to run it back and Steve goes, now I'm already heated because he's making me look bad. So Steve Smith backhanded him. So I go, oh, okay.

All right. Maybe they're right. And then the best thing is watching Lamar Odom and Shannon Sharpe. Lamar is talking about the time. Remember Charles Oakley punched Jeff McGinnis.

Do you remember this story? No. Okay. So years ago, Clippers are playing. They're in the shoot around.

Okay. Charles Oakley came out. Apparently there was beef between him and Jeff McGinnis.

Jeff McGinnis. Yeah. I've got to remember. Wow. I've got to look it up. I probably should have.

I even think about what was either either money or girls. Right. That's the only two things. And apparently he did. He punched Jeff McGinnis. This is kind of like a known thing. But Lamar Odom made it seem like, yo, he f them up.

Right. And then Shannon's like, well, why didn't you guys do anything? And Lamar was like, yo, I was with it. I was cussing and everything. And he goes, Charles Oakley looked at me, goes, hello. I told them I was going to put punishment on his body.

And then Mark said when he heard that, he goes, you know what? Let me just back up out of this. So you know what? I guess I'm just saying the punch as civilized human beings. We sit here and go, that's awful. That's terrible. Maybe in the in the world of sports, it's OK. And one last thing, I know I've been talking way too late. It's fine.

I'm so mad about this. Right. Two days later, hockey season starts and the biggest thing in hockey or two guys beating the crap out of each other and everybody's excited. It's part of the game and they're not teammates. But my point being, it's like, it's just so weird how like in this one sport, it's praise.

And then that's two guys beating the crap out of each other. And in this one, a guy gets punched and we're ready to like, I just I just think for me, it's it's Draymond stature on the team. I understand that he's their quote unquote unforcer.

That's not really a thing in today's NBA. But like for that team, he plays a certain role. He's you know, he's such a he's such an antagonist. You know, we know famously he kicked LeBron in the groin region and got suspended for a for a final game. He kicked him in the ding. And and so but he's supposedly one of your team leader. You mentioned one of the core guys. You know, he's got the four rings.

He should know better. Like you're supposed to be a leader and you're in here knocking a dude out because, you know, they leak a story to Chris Haynes about how Jordan Paul's been acting a certain way because he wants to get paid. Like Jordan pulls better than you right now as a player.

And he's more important to the future of the Warriors than you are. You may not be on the team next year. Like you're in the last year of your deal. You have a player option for next year.

You're thirty three thirty four years old. You might be gone and you're knocking this dude out because it's his turn to get paid. But we don't know if that's exactly the reason why he did it. But also Draymond the enforcer. I think we did we talk about this earlier T.J. where it's like, don't step up to the guy who has been known to fight. Right. But who else has he fought, though?

You know, it's like you say he got Kevin Durant's face. He gets in the fight, but there's no like that's a lot of Wolfen. Right. And the force of the man is Oakley. Right. And the force to me is Xavier McDaniel. You're right, Adam. Those guys don't necessarily exist anymore. So I don't know if he's necessarily an enforcer, but he's the you know, he's a woofer on the team for sure.

And look, I take it back. Apparently he is about that life because he did. Yeah. So, you know, but in the end, I mean, I guess it's just like I just feel like from a management perspective now that are enabling this type of behavior because there was ultimately no punishment. No, he got punished. So he got fines. The man finally got fined.

Oh, my God. Fifty thousand dollars to Draymond Green. But he has that in his glove box. You want to really show this guy that, hey, dude, this is messed up. You shouldn't do that to your teammate.

We're trying to repeat tough shit. You don't get to go to the ring ceremony or guess what? You can show up to the ceremony. You're not playing in the game. And in fact, you're out 10 games. Yeah. Do something. I think that would make sense if it was a guy who was a second year in the league like James Weisman or somebody like that or cominga.

But when you're talking about Draymond Green without Draymond Green, this franchise never wins one championship. So you have to consider that as part of you. You don't. You don't.

You don't. I think I think you do. He not he gets special out his teammates cold.

It doesn't matter, though. He still should be able to get special privilege over the other guys, because, like I said, they're nothing without him. He what what what if what if Jordan Poole has got a concussion, undiagnosed, lingering symptoms? What if he broke his jaw and suddenly he's out half the season? Now, I think then then broken jaw like Draymond Green is more upset that watch his watch his video. Look at that. Look at the clips.

I have no interest in watching 20 more mad that the video was released, just like Steve Kerr seemed more upset by this. Just like the victim. Like I was wrong.

No, you were the one who did the wrong. But what about the situation? Like I said, with Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr and Steve Kerr probably learned from that situation where he was the guy getting didn't knock out him cold, but he punched him in the face, though. And now Steve Kirk, who incidentally is the coach of the Warriors and he knows how to handle this. He saw the Bulls handled it. Draymond Green is Michael Jordan. Yeah, I think Michael Jordan. This is just like I'm not saying he's Michael Jordan, but I'm saying he's been an important figure in their core championship team.

I think it's I'll give you insane. Yeah, of course. But I think just think it's so insane how the Warriors and their management just has played this off as nothing. So, Chris, I think you should adopt a T.J. Jefferson philosophy, which I just said, if they're not mad about it, then I'm not going to wait.

And I realized this the other day. I'm like, I'm not going to waste my time getting upset because it does. It's not my team.

It's not affecting me. I said my piece. I think it's right. It's definitely wrong from kind of a human perspective. Yeah. And human perspective, it's definitely wrong. And then, like I said, when when you got more people mad that we've seen it, then the actual act itself, that's strange to me, too.

But I'm not going to figure out human beings at least not in the next 20 minutes. So you know what? If the Warriors are willing to move on, let me tell you something. It didn't look like anything was affecting them last night. Right.

Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess that probably had more to do with their opponent. I know you can't wait to get a good transition here. Let's let's talk about the Los Angeles Lakers, guys. How long how long is this season going to be for them? Well, eighty two games, you know, eighty two game runs going to be one hundred and sixty years old by the time eighty two games in mid April. But that's going to be the end. Right. I mean, are they even good enough to be the 10th seed in the West? Look, man, if everybody stays if and if is the biggest word in the world when it comes to sports. But if they stay healthy, then, yeah, they should be a playoff team just because there's enough time because a healthy like I said, I have two players, a healthy Anthony Davis and a healthy LeBron James with a bunch of decent role players should be able to get you a playoff spot, I would assume. But the health issue is the thing, right? Because my man hasn't been able to stay healthy.

Both both bands. Well, LeBron, he gets the benefit of the doubt. Look at how many times he's missed games over injury over his career.

The last two years has been a lot of missed games. Yeah, that's all I'm saying. But, you know, I don't know. I feel like I mean, I gave them the benefit of doubt last year, too. I mean, you really? Yeah. I mean, that's what I'm saying. And they made the play in last year and they're worse this season.

I don't know. It's early. It's LeBron played forty five games two years ago. Fifty six games last year. Here's what I do like over under fifty six and a half games for LeBron this season over.

I'm going to go over also. I still think LeBron, he's still a top 10 player in the league. Yeah, he'll take some games off for, quote unquote, load management.

Yeah. Why shouldn't he? But if it's a situation where he needs to play for them to get into the playoffs, he will be playing. Yeah, because trust me, LeBron does not not want to make the playoffs, especially like imagine that imagine you become the all time leading scorer NBA and then you game 82 is the end of your season. Like, that's not a good.

I mean, hey, look, look at the last couple years of Kobe. He was playing for nothing. Yeah, that's playing for pride. That's true. Money.

Good point. I mean, at what point do the Russell Westbrook trade rumors happen again? They've already started. Charles Barkley started at halftime last night. By the way, Charles Barkley had a quicker hook than Chris Brockman ever had. Chris Brockman, what a player traded after like going into halftime. Charles called for it before halftime, I think like right as halftime started. So it came on at halftime and he was like, just trade him now, just like put him out of his misery, give him in a situation where he can go get all his numbers and start and play. I mean, Russ tried to claim that he got injured or strained his hammy because he wasn't starting and had to come off the bench. And so his body wasn't used to it.

His body don't know how to deal with that. That's like Adam being like, yo, Adam, we're going to move the phone bank to the desk out here in the studio. And you're just like, oh, my back.

I'm used to sitting in the back and the cold and the temperature and the way the computers lined up. I got injured. My eyes. It's so bright out here.

It was dark. I don't know what to do. This Laker season is going to be a triumphant disaster and I'm going to enjoy every second. I'm looking at the roster right now.

And yeah, you're probably I was trying to get better than that. Here's my favorite thing. So bad. My guy O.G., Pat Bev, who I've always told you, if he's on your team, you love him. If he's not, you hate him. For some reason, during the season, Pat Bev start acting like he was number one on the call sheet like this man actually the other day was saying that how the media tries to kill his boy Russ and he needs him out there with him in the starting lineup.

Like Pat Bev is like, you know, go for 19 and 10 a game or something. I love the dude man. But Junior got in the game last night. Makes me feel so old, by the way. Scotty Pippen Junior scored NBA points. That's incredible.

You know, it's amazing. He spells his name with a Y. Yeah. Notice that. OK, then you're not junior. They're not junior.

I agree. It's the whole point. That's weird. Well, it's kind of like LeBron, LeBron and Bronny in a way, kind of not really makes me laugh. Well, no, because he's not the LeBron James Junior, is he?

Is he LeBron James? OK. Yeah. He completely went away. Made brawny like he made that for himself. And I heard I heard an interesting theory.

I was listening to another show this morning and they were talking about just how crazy it was. Like, why would you bring back Polinka? Like what good moves has he done? Well, what if Polinka is like playing this like 4D chess move of like entertaining trade offers for Anthony Davis this year? So LeBron gets so mad at the roster around him, he doesn't want to come back as LeBron the way his contract is set up. He can't be traded this season.

He can only be traded in the offseason because of his extension. So and then LeBron wants out, gets traded in the offseason to whoever ends up is in line to pick and draft Bronny. And then they get those picks back. So they kind of rebuild by trading LeBron and Anthony Davis because they know this season's a disaster. And the championship window with these guys is definitely shot.

I can't win a title. I think that's how the Lakers operate, though. They don't look to these draft picks to to really rebuild, although no, I will say they did with the potential Russell Westbrook trade. There were the rumors in the summer that the Lakers were going to offer Russell Westbrook and that the Pacers demanded to first round draft picks on top of that for Miles Turner and Buddy healed.

And at the last second, apparently it was like literally the last second. The Lakers decided that they couldn't do it because they didn't want to give up the first round draft picks, which I think is insane. Miles Turner and what he healed, I think would be great fits for the Lakers. Yeah. Along with Pat Bev. And then you got Lonnie Walker and none of these guys like, you know, Toscano Anderson. That's a playoff team.

Yeah. And Miles Turner can shoot threes on top of rebounding and block and shooting. Like the guy is a good player.

And then Buddy healed. He opens up space for the entire Lakers team. So I just don't understand why they did not pull that trigger. And they said they don't have shooters. The team isn't constructed around shooters.

It's a it's a weird team to build around LeBron James. When, like you said, he's still playing at a top 10 level. He played great last night. I mean, maybe padding a little stats, but he had over 30 points and 14 rebounds. Like he's still playing. So Bron James, man, we've never seen somebody play at this level at that age. It's never been done before, man.

And it's truly amazing. I only wish that he would have, I don't know, gone somewhere other than the Lakers, because, you know, I had to boo this man when he got here. And I won't have to boo LeBron. You know, it's kind of his fault also for totally win the title. So whether you whether you think it's real or not, he did get a ring out of here. Yeah, no, but I'm just saying, like, in terms of the move for Westbrook, that was what changed the trajectory of that franchise. And looking back, obviously they should have kept Caruso. It was it was ego. He thought he thought they could make it work. He thought they would fit somehow and that Russ still had, you know, the the game to win meaningful games during the playoffs. And he just doesn't.

Yeah. And in in Russell Westbrook's a future Hall of Famer, one of the best players of all time. But he needs to stop with the ego and he needs to accept a bench role. He can thrive as a sixth or seventh man off the bench, get his points. And I just don't understand why his hamstrings, Adam. That's why I used to come it off. You got two hamstrings.

You know how it feels, right? Let's look at the rest of the West here, TJ. I'll say one more thing about the Lakers. Just imagine if they wouldn't have traded B.I. and Jordan Clarkson and Lonzo and Lonzo. They got all those guys.

Yeah. But imagine they don't get A.D. and they keep B.I. and they keep, you know, Clarkson. Is this team better now?

I don't know. The thing is, is like LeBron because B.I. is like he's coming. LeBron LeBron didn't want to wait for these young kids to develop. And that's too bad. But that's all. LeBron, too, is like it was shortsighted. He was like, I want veterans around me who know who already know how to win. But I get it.

And you can of course, they totally get. Obviously, Anthony Davis is a top 10 player when he's fully healthy and at the height of his powers. Like he looked really great last night. I thought Anthony Davis played really well. But, you know, LeBron didn't want to wait. He didn't want to wait for those kids to develop. And now look at them.

They are B.I. as a superstar. Yeah. New Orleans could be a big time sleeper this year with C.J. McCollum. And Zion is fully healthy. Zion looks great.

Looks like he's lost some weight. Like I think Zion and James Harden went to the same Weight Watchers, dude, for real. I'm so excited to watch Zion play tonight because, you know, people write them off.

I remember last year people were, you know, because Jaa was bawling. Yeah. So just so magnificently. It just made the Zion stuff.

Yeah. And people were like, well, Zion's falling off. And I'm like, bro, Zion never fell off. He just got hurt because when he's in there, he's putting up twenty six and eleven, seven, you know, seven. I mean, Zion is a machine.

I can't wait. And, you know, the funny thing is right. I was watching the interview with Zion and they were talking about like, are you a little nervous with your injuries? Like when you go to the lane and you are you a little afraid? He goes, no, man.

He goes, when I go up, I want to put somebody through the rim. And I'm like, oh, my God. Poster season is coming. Just know that poster season is coming. All right. And you didn't play last year to be on.

Oh, man. He's got a lot of you know, he's got a lot of ball. Got a lot of ball inside of him that we haven't seen in a while.

And he's just ready to burst. Let's look at the rest of the West. T.J. Clippers now on the docket tonight, Wednesday.

We're going to see them tomorrow against the Lakers and their season opener. How jacked up are you? Well, we put it this way.

Are you more jacked up for the Clippers season or is Kawhi just more jacked? Like, which is it? I told you I look swole. I told you guys about a month ago. I asked you, I'm like, have you seen the clock?

Because he is Buff Bagwell right now. He's swole. But the thing is, I've you guys have seen it down this road before seeing dogs, right?

They've been abused, right? If it's the commercials, they come on. It's the sad piano. I will remember Sarah McLachlan. Stop. You're going to be playing and the dogs in the rain. He looks all wet and sad because his owner chained him to a fence and yells and beats at him and doesn't feed him. I'm like the beat down dog. All right. For twenty this year, twenty three of Clipper fandom for me.

And I've gone through segment after segment of like listing all the Clipper curse stuff on paper. This team is phenomenal, right? We have depth. We're talented. We're stacked.

We're every good thing you can say. We got a great coach. We got two superstar players. We got a guy who John Wall, who's got something to prove. We got Mr. May, Reggie Jackson.

But like that beat dog, bro, I've just I've just been like hit with a rolled up newspaper so much as a Clipper fan. You didn't have to give up Canard this offseason. You'll have one of the Morris twins. Norman Powell's still there. Norman Powell's like by the Covington shop. Covington. You got so many good shooters.

You got so many good players. John Wall's coming off their role. John Wall.

Perfect example. Max Money guy takes less to come to the Clippers. Knows his role. He knows he's going to come off the bench. Well, he didn't know he was. We actually, well, everybody thought he was start. We kind of assumed that he was. Yeah, I think he thought he was.

No, he died. And Clipper world. We were like, we're all starting. And Reggie's coming off the bench. Yeah, I understand.

Totally. But a guy who can lead that second unit. Why can't the Clippers be the one to see in the West like Adam?

Talk me out of that. I'm not going to talk you out of that because I think absolutely they can. I think the only thing that can prevent them from that will be injuries. You have a guy like John Wall who hasn't really played in two years.

Kawhi hasn't played in a year. So there's definitely injury risk involved. But to me, it's clearly that the Clippers and the Warriors are the two best teams to be in the West right now. And this this Clipper team in the playoffs can be very dangerous.

They they have, like you said, guys have said a lot of death. Great defensive players. Yes. A lot of versatile guys. Also, they're like six, seven, six, eight.

They can play multiple positions. A great coach. Yeah. So I don't other than the Clipper curse. It's real, man.

I believe in the Chris and Michael Ola kind of candy. And I just in Sterling, obviously, I just. I understand, TJ, I understand. It's just hard. I get it, TJ. I want it to be true.

I do. I think, TJ, that you this year just needs to believe in your heart that good things will happen for your team. Look, I'm always going to show up and show out for them. But like at the same point, it's like, yeah, you know, I did get kicked once too often. Let the past be the past. And that's totally fair. So we're looking for big things from the Clippers. I will say this. The one thing that I'm a little worried is, is our big situation.

Now we got Zubat. We don't really have another big. But, you know, I realize the NBA is getting away from the big men, but we're not the Warriors. We're not a three point shooting team.

Right. So I just kind of look at what happens if we get to the finals and we get a match up with Giannis, no last name or Joel Embiid or even, you know, with Joker like to get to there. So I'm a little I think our big man situation. I'm a little like iffy about.

But man, other than that, I'd like it's funny too. And you look at the rest of the West. I mean, we haven't even mentioned Luca Dallas. We haven't even mentioned them yet. We haven't even talked about.

You just mentioned Joker. Denver's going to be back. Jamal Murray's back. Michael Porter Junior. I love Jamal Murray, man.

So I'm looking forward to looking forward to seeing that. I missed watching him last year. Listen and help let him stay healthy. Him and Kawhi is watching him play last year after his bubble breakout. And what are the Timberwolves? They made a huge trade. They acquire Rudy Gobert.

We're interested to see how that's going to play out. You know, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Edwards and DeAngelo, they still have a really fun young team. People are expecting big things from Sacramento this year. Dame Willard is back, guys. And then, of course, there's a Phoenix Suns kind of one of the biggest question marks coming into very much because they've dominated the regular season now, two years in a row after they nearly won the NBA title two years ago. Last year, they had the best record in the NBA.

There's Paul Devin Booker. DeAndre, they still have all these guys, but you got to worry, right? Because I don't know what they're going to look like. I think we kind of know what they're going to look like.

They're going to have a good regular season. But now you got to worry about like DeAndre and didn't get the money he wanted. Right.

And he apparently money had not spoken. And I don't know if that's a normal thing to not speak to your coach or your players the entire. I'm guessing I'm the one who thinks it's bad to punch out your teammates. But it doesn't seem like, you know, like you and I, we talk we talk a few times after work per week and like we might go a weekend and we don't speak.

That's fine. But like the way those two were coming back, it was like, yeah, I didn't talk to him. I just want to leave. Exactly. So there's something like there's something. And, you know, there's something I think I coined this phrase here last year.

And I'm going to say it again because I love it. I think the only thing P.H. balanced in that locker room might be the shampoo.

I don't know. We're going to see is going to be salty or is he going to be able to put, you know, his benching in his contract behind him? And then you have, you know, the situation with their team owner who turns out that he's a real piece of work. You know, we'll see. And how does Chris Paul find himself in this situation again with another owner who, you know, is kind of a trash human being?

I hope I you know that this is too bad. I mean, I would love to see Chris Paul get that ring. It just doesn't look like it's ever in that one year for like two games.

It was like, oh, man, he's going to do this. And then the honest was like and then and then the weird thing, how Luca murdered their franchise in the playoffs last year. Do you come back from that? I kind of don't think so. I mean, if you just look at the rest of these teams that are on the rise. Is Phoenix a top four team?

Where do they finish? Could they maybe slip into the play in? I mean, obviously the Clippers are going to be there. Denver is going to be better. Golden State.

We're expecting Memphis. We haven't even mentioned them yet. That's four. That's the top four right there.

I say that again. Does Phoenix break through there? Memphis, Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors.

OK. I don't see that's kind of the top four in my mind when I look at the West. And then you got New Orleans. Could they break through Dallas? Minnesota is a playoff team. Utah is obviously tanking. Is Portland back? Is Sacramento? I mean, it's going to be wild.

It's wide open, man. Yeah, I could see the Suns and like the four to five range. I could see them being better than Memphis. But absolutely, I do not think they're better than the Warriors than the than the Clippers. And then the Nuggets to me are probably the third team in the West right now. They're they're going to be so fun to watch. So fun to watch that bubble year with Jamal Murray going off was so fun. And now you have a healthy Michael Porter Jr., who I think can be a 20 point scorer in the league easily if he's healthy. Guys never because it's his back.

And when it's your back, as I can attest to now, because I'm in pain as we speak, man, when your back goes, bro, ill, it's tough. It's tough. So Aaron Gordon, a guy they, you know, made deal for last year, they have KCP now and Bruce Brown playing, you know, defense and getting in there.

Yeah. Oh, but even Joker said it's going to take Jamal like 20 games to like, well, I mean, you know, it will. It's kind of the same with John Wall.

When you haven't played in a very long time, you really it takes a while to get to get back used to playing. OK, let's look at the East real quick, because as crazy as the West is, the East is just stacked and it's going to be it's new fun teams, right? It's more old school.

Then you got some. Yeah, you got the old school teams, but then you got, you know, the Hawks made a huge deal in the off season getting to John T. Murray. Chicago is going to be right there. Cleveland is going to be a team.

People are expecting a lot of things. The Pistons are going to be fun to watch again. Heat will always be in the mix.

Heat will always be in the mix. Brooklyn, we are finally going to see what this big three of theirs looks like tonight. Adam, what do you look at with aside from your own team?

What are you looking at in the East? TJ, I love the 76 years right now, and this team is so well rounded, even though they lost last night. I loved how well James Harden played. And James Harden legitimately looks good. Looks like he's in shape for the first time in his career.

At least three years, probably. But he he looks like he did. You guys see that video? There's a video of James Harden where he got a huge birthday cake for his birthday.

He threw it off the boat, chucks it off the boat. And that's just like kind of showed like that was disrespectful to the chef. That cake looked really good.

But you got to make some sacrifices. Absolutely. And so that team, Adam, he didn't think about the rest of the people who wanted cake, though that that was just wrong. Yeah, they're getting champagne. They're getting whatever else he brings to the table.

They're going to be fine. But you look at that team and you have Maxie, who I think is developing him into a really if he's your number three player in your team, that's a really good team because Tyrese Maxie is a 20 point per game score all day. People in the know are very high on Max. Yeah. And so very high on it. And then, of course, you add P.J.

Tucker. So I'm I'm looking at the Sixers is really a potential finals team. The only thing that concerns me is is Doc Rivers is their coach.

Yeah. He's just been disappointing in so many years over and over just with these stacked teams. They don't live up to expectations. So, yeah, they have you know, they're going to be really good this year. So I'm looking at Philadelphia.

And then, of course, like you said, Cleveland, Cleveland is going to be really fun to watch. You have the backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. That's an explosive fun backcourt to watch. And then Evan Mobley was, you know, awesome last year.

Yeah. And so I was going to say they're not the best defensive backcourt, but you make up for that by having Evan Mobley and Jared Allen is your front court. So that's team is is a well-rounded team. I think they're probably still a little too young to really compete. But that's an NBA league pass team you're going to want to watch.

Yeah, no doubt. And look, Milwaukee is going to be there. I mean, they have five teams that could come out of here. If you're looking at Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Boston, like that's a that is five five teams. You can make a case that could win the NBA title. It's so weird to me with Brooklyn because Brooklyn's the type of team that could either not make the playoffs or win the championship. Yeah, absolutely. They're absolutely down based on injuries and mood swings and who knows what. And it comes down. Oh, sure.

All of those things. But just basketball wise, like you need your shooters, right? So you need Joe Harris and you need Seth Curry. And they're out to kind of start the season. But if they come back and shoot 40 percent clip from three on top of having Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, I think we all kind of expect Ben Simmons to be kind of a 10, 10, 10 guy this year and be in the defensive, you know, the all defensive team.

And he should. He's a guy who could play basketball. Look, we've seen it last year.

Notwithstanding the dude knows how to play and is a factor out there. And I kind of I weirdly expect Brooklyn to be in the mix all season. The top four team in the east, no doubt. Oh, for sure.

Absolutely. T.J., what do you think about the 76ers? Our teams played last night. Boston kind of took it to him at home on Bill Russell night. That was really awesome and really special way to start the year for you in Boston.

For me, Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum were awesome last night, 35 points, 35 each. And it was a good start. It was a great start. It was a bad night for the breakup to break up the Jays crowd.

But a great start for me. What did you see out of Philadelphia last night that has you hopeful that this could finally be the year for you guys? What I saw last night that made me hopeful? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Really?

I mean, look. James Harden didn't wasn't. It's one game.

I'm not ready to throw in the towel. But if you're asking me how I felt after one game, it's this. The defense was.

Where was it? You have two guys putting up 70, right? But mind you, these are two exceptional basketball players. As I said on the big show today, my problem is I've got Joel Embiid, right? Who two years ago, I said to you specifically, I'm like, I hope Joel was looking at all this.

Giannis, NBA champion, you know, the videos, him and the chick fillet, him, just all the talk shows, him buying all the Oreos. And I was like, I just want him to see this and go that can and that should be me. And I want him to just train and practice and just get to that. That point, like Shaq said, just go out there and know you're not the best big man in the game. You're the best player in the game.

So go out there and dominate. My problem being is you've got a seven foot, 280 pound man who hits the the ground seven, eight times a game. And and for someone who's already a little injury prone, it just really it kind of bugs me how much Joel finds himself falling and hitting the court, because when you're that big bro and you're falling seven times a game. And I said this today, if he plays 70 games, that's 490 times that this almost 300 pound body is slamming into the ground, the energy picking yourself up and you rinse, Ross, repeat. He's got to stay on his feet.

And I don't never hear anyone else talking about that. But it's have you noticed that? Because it's bothersome to me how much this guy hits the ground. I don't know if it's just he straight flopping. And if that's the case, you've got to stop it, bro.

Is it uncoordinated? I don't know. But like, stay on your feet, dog, because, you know, it's not going to take much to, you know, that big body's falling. You put your hand down next to, you know, broken wrist, broken finger. So that's the thing. But, you know, we've got harden who dribbled.

I think the status saw was like 520 times yesterday. The entire team combined had like 400 dribbles. So it's a lot of hard and dribble around. That's what harden does.

That's what he does. But like, is that making a team better? Are we better?

I don't know yet. Well, he was efficient last night. Max, he's obviously a superstar in the making.

But Adam brought something up. Yeah, like there's now guys with some real hard not today and have it before. We've got guys with hard on this team like P.J. Tucker, dog, Montrezl Harrow, dog, and P.J. Tucker and Montrezl Harrow on the court at the same time.

You know how, like you have 50 50 balls. They're going to get them all. They're like 80 20 with those two because they're going to dive. They're going to get the loose balls.

They're going to fight. So I like that component of the team. But like, you know, a bunch of dribbling and shooting.

It kind of seems like where we left off before were. So I need to see a little bit more. I need Joelle to just like, bro, 23 feet away from the hoop.

Hi, dog. Get down. Get your big ass down in that basket.

I know. But use those broad shoulders like year four of him playing this type of game. Just so that that part about it just it's fresh because I'm an old school basketball fan. I love the big man and I know we've gotten away from that. But bro, when you're like Shaq, when you're that big, give me the ball in the post. I'm going to put these shoulders into somebody.

And after three or four times, they ain't going to want to like bone out with you anymore and then get busy down there, man. Shooting these 30 foot jumpers. Come on, dog.

All right. I like that. Adam, talk to me about your bulls before we give some predictions and round this up. Patrick Williams needs to be aggressive this year. I think that's the key to the Bulls season. He has so much talent, so much ability. But every single year, the last couple of years, he's just been a guy that's so passive.

He stands in the corner and does nothing. So he needs to realize that he has a lot of talent and he just needs to be aggressive. He needs to shoot 15 times a game minimum. So Patrick Williams is key for the Bulls. The big problem with with the Bulls is the health is the health of Lonzo Ball. So originally last year, everybody was saying, oh, yeah, he'll be great by the start of the season.

Now you're hearing rumors that Lonzo Ball might not even play the whole year. Wow. I did not know that. Yeah. They're keeping being setbacks every single time.

I read a news update about him. That's going to hurt your squad. And that's a huge problem because when the Bulls were good, the Bulls were really good in the regular season last year, especially the beginning at him.

Yeah. When Caruso was getting like six fields a game before he got hurt and Lonzo was, you know, dropping dimes like a snitch Bulls were at the top. Yeah, they were at the top of the East of Lonzo leading the way and without his defense without his court awareness. I owe to sumo is a good point guard, but he's not even close to what Lonzo is. So if the Bulls don't have Lonzo for the majority of the season, I don't think we're going to be as good as last year and then playoffs forget about it.

We won't we might make the playoffs, but it'll be an easy first-round exit. So Lonzo needs to get healthy and then apparently now Zach Lavines. Yeah, he's going to be out for the next couple games. So he's always a guy that worries me with the injuries. Another guy that I really like I like his game a lot.

He's improved every single year, but the injuries are an issue. So a lot comes down with the Bulls with the injuries and then Patrick Williams needs to be aggressive. If all goes according to plan and Patrick Williams is aggressive and we get Lonzo at least halfway through. I think the Bulls can can be a second round team that can beat competes with with the Sixers or the Bucks ultimately ends up losing. I don't think we're in the top tier yet, but I think we can compete and be a second round type of team. So that's what I see for the Bulls this year.

Love it. Celtics. Yeah, let's hear about it.

It's title robust. I mean, that's it. When you when you're two wins away from the NBA championship and now you got everybody back. You add Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason.

I think you saw it last night. TJ what a difference he is out there. Just a calming influence on that second unit. He's able to score. I think he would have 16 last night. He's able to put the ball in the basket and he's able to lead.

And I think that's huge. Obviously not having Robert Williams for the what it looks like now the first half of the time Lord. Geez, that's that's kind of devastating defensively at the thought last night gave up 117 to Philadelphia. So, you know, it's going to be a different second half look when he is back out there. But when you see him out there at full strength, again, we're two wins away from the championship. So Tatum, I expect him to be in the MVP discussion all year long.

Both of you both of us picked him to win. Yeah, he's an absolute superstar. He's first team all NBA last year. I think you saw the full complement of his repertoire last night. What he's able to do. He had double digit rebounds.

Thirty five, five, twelve. So four times. It's the sky's the limit for him. And Jalen Brown, I know he's in a critical year for him, but you saw him come out really aggressive.

I think. What killed this? What killed the Celtics in the in the in the Eastern Conference finals and the finals last year? Turnovers. Jalen Brown had a bajillion of them. So did Tatum.

But that's why you get a guy like Malcolm Brogdon. You have one last night work on that in the off season. And that's huge. Keep that number at that number. Keep that turnovers at ten or below. And I think we're going to see a lot of wins. No reason why the Celtics can't win 60 games this year. Be the one seed and win the championship. I mean, I think it's all about banner 18.

And I think this is the team to do it, despite everything that happened at the end of the summer, which was super bizarre, super weird. We still don't know anything really about what's going on with Emeu Doka. But losing Galen Arias was losing Galena.

It was kind of difficult because she never had them to start with. Never had him to begin with. But the anticipation of man, he's going to be that guy 20 minutes. He's going to make three or four threes a night. He's going to come up with eight boards and he's going to have those one or two hustle plays that he's used to having. But nice to see Grant Williams step up. He had a great game last night.

Three from we showed what he could do during the playoff run as well. So. But, Chris, I expectations for Boston this year.

And I think that's super realistic. But I say this right. You say play championship or bust. But the coach, that situation is a big thing because we know what Emei did. We knew the way that he big time changed the culture, man, changed the culture. He kind of challenged these guys, kind of told him to stop playing like asses.

He would get up in his face, their face, because he'd been there and done it. He won a ring and stop being bullied. Don't let Miami bully you. Don't let Philadelphia get in your face, like, and you could see it last night. They really stood up to you guys. And so.

But I'm sorry. Your coach's name is just I just completely Joe Mazzola. Joe Mazzola. We I don't I mean, obviously, we didn't know what Emei could do as a head coach, but we don't know what Joe Mazzola is going to bring to the table. Is he going to have that same effect where they listen to him the same way that they did Emei? So, you know, talent wise, it's all their construction.

It's there. You just got to see how like if this guy can do the job, then, yeah, you're going to be right back there. But one thing one thing I did like in the preseason and end last night with Joe in charge is we're playing a little faster.

OK, a little faster, a little more up, a little more tempo. It's funny you say that. And one hundred and twenty six points last night. That's a lot.

So you said that because Berkeley said it and I was thinking the same thing. Sixers just play slow. And it's just like, well, when you like when you said when it's 20 seconds of James dribbling the ball around and then either he's shooting a step back or it's going into Joelle, it's you know, that's tough. But like I said, high hopes, high hopes for basketball's back. And that's the important basketball's back. We're really excited.

Real quick round the horn. T.J. and I gave ours. I like the Celtics over the Warriors. T.J. is just pulling for a Clippers six or finals before I die. I leave this earth lord. Adam, what do you think?

What's your finals? Who wins as we get out the door? So I have the Warriors coming out of the Western Conference.

I'm going to go against my gut and say that the Philadelphia 76ers really win the Eastern Conference. Wow. Yeah.

I think if you listen in, wow, I think they get it together. And we have to keep in mind that James Harden has not played on this team for very long. So this is technically the twenty fourth regular season game that he's been eligible for. Yeah. So they have a whole season to gel. I really like their team.

I love the addition of P.J. Tucker, dog and Tobias Harris. Oh, yeah.

They have a bunch of dogs on the team. Embiid, you know, Embiid's hungry. Yeah. He flops all the time. Yeah. He plays. I did not say flop.

All right. I used that word. He wanted to. He wanted to avoid it.

It's so hard. No, but I really like Philadelphia. Like I said, Doc Rivers, not so much. But at the same time, he did lead a team to a championship. We can't take that away from. We have to admit that as a team though, too.

Very good. But this is a good ass team also. So I like the Warriors in the Sixers and I have the Golden State Warriors repeating as a two thousand twenty three and.

Let me tell you something. If the Warriors do repeat, then I'm making Embiid punch everybody next season. Just everyone on the team's get enjoy. I would think about this for next week.

If the Warriors do repeat, Steph passes LeBron in the all time list. Right. No, let's not get into that. All right. That's going to do it for this week. Before we go, the podcast is back. Before we go, though, I want to talk to you guys, because, you know, last year we were so big on winning time.

Right. We love winning time. I was I don't know if you guys have started, but I've started watching Legacy on Hulu about the Lakers. I haven't seen I heard it's great.

Man, let me tell you something. It's thoroughly entertaining. The footage that I've never seen before. Some of the cool stuff is like you never saw a picture of Jerry Buss before the day he bought the Lakers.

Right. So now you're getting to see like twenty nine thirty year old Jerry Buss. You're like, oh, wow, this dude was actually young.

And then you get to see like all the kids as baby. So I just like how this came out after winning time was so popular. Yeah. And they had everyone thinking about the Lakers one way.

And then the Lakers were like, oh, we need to put out an actual documentary because everyone thinks all this stuff was real. But here's the deal. Right. What I realized is when we can talk about legacy throughout the course of the season, I won't be watching it.

Oh, bro, if you watch winning time, it is so definitely worth a watch. But here's one thing. John C. Rally, we knew he did a great job as Dr. Buss.

Right. But he kind of played a more of as a caricature or a funny guy like you kind of forget Dr. Buss. I want to throw around the world genius, but this dude was so intelligent. He was the moves he made. He was so smart and to the point where, like Jeannie would say, like her dad would like talk about numbers and stats and he would you go in his office. And Michael Cooper even said, I'm sorry, Byron Scott said he had a desk raised a little higher than you when you came in his office for a boss type move. But Jeannie was like, Dad had a calculator on his desk.

She goes, and it wasn't for him. It was for anyone that was in there to use so they could keep up with him because that's how his mind worked. And that's how good he was at numbers. So it was just like, man, this dude, you can sell you one about being a playboy and all that other stuff. Jerry Buss was genius, man. The man traded buildings for four building and two franchises like it was amazing. And I think I'm on episode four now. So we've kind of got through Showtime and now Kareem has just retired and then they drafted fly day. So that's where I'm at now. But I'm thoroughly enjoying legacy, man.

And I definitely recommend you guys. That's funny. But here's the deal, Chris. Back in those in the 80s. Oh, I did not dislike the lake because I wasn't I was a sexual friend.

I didn't like to sell it. So when the Lakers sailed, explain, I kind of always went with the Lakers. So I can remember like, yeah, I used to like these guys back in the day, but definitely worth worth watching. I'm telling you, it's really good. All right, everybody, that's it. Thanks for joining us. We're back. The Rich Isaac show basketball podcast every Wednesday throughout the NBA season here on YouTube and on Westwood one. Thank you for everyone and thank you for tuning in. T.J. Adam, enjoy the games tonight. We'll talk to you next. We'll see you guys later.