EMERGENCY POD: THE WIZARDS WON AN NBA CUP GAME

Yes, that title is not a typo, the Washington Wizards were able to win their first ever NBA Cup game against the Atlanta Hawks. Bryson Akins and Henry Brown break down how the team was able to pick up this win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

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SPEAKER_03 0:30

Welcome back to All Wizards Talk, a podcast on the All Sports Talk Network. I'm one of your co-hosts, Bryce McNez. Join alongside, as always, Henry Brown. He was at the game tonight, and ladies and gentlemen, this is I I this emergency pod, it's gonna be in the title, but this is an emergency. The Wizards won a basketball game. Like they did the impossible.

SPEAKER_04 0:50

I didn't know what to do with myself. I really didn't. That stadium behind you, the uh audio listeners can't see. Um, there's a dead Capital One Stadium uh as your backdrop right now. This place was hopping. Um the Bub Carrington branded pajamas definitely helped um because we play the Hawks all the time. And there's always a promotional giveaways for the Hawks games. But there was a good crowd and it was electric. It was so cool to be a part of.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

I want to pair those pajama pants so bad. I can't lie.

SPEAKER_04 1:15

They look nice. I know, I know, I know. And um I I couldn't stick around because I was afraid I'd miss the last metro train. But um, what I usually have done in the past, there was a Gilbert Arena spobblehead night a few uh years ago. Actually, check it out. Right there. There's Gilb. Um I was doing media for that game too, and I had to just sort of go through the empty seats after the place was real jump driving. But tonight was more successful than that was because this was as much fun as I've had watching the Wizards in such a long time.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Oh, I was having a blast too. Usually when I play in I'll be honest, you guys might call me, you know, like, oh, you're doing what Stephen A. Smith did. He was playing solitary during the finals. Like, I'll hop on, play like 2K, maybe college football. I've been playing a lot of Fallout lately. And so like I'll play Fallout well while listening to the audio with the game going on and the monitor next to me. So I'm still watching the game by the glimpse. But tonight's game was so exciting. I did not play any video game. I was locked in from the start, like paying attention. Like, this is this is pure hoops, is what we're seeing. Like, this is a good thing.

SPEAKER_04 2:18

I mean, there's a number of teams that haven't had a quarter or a half as good as what the Wizards just did for that. You had a game. You can say a whole game for that matter. Yeah, that was just end-to-end dominance. And it's they only won by like 20 or something, whatever it was before. That was uh the second unit definitely let go of the road. But that was without Keyshawn, um, without Trey Johnson, and they lost Kispert halfway through, and Kispert was like this the second or third best guy in this game when he was playing.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

And you guys might not agree with me either, even without Marvin Bagley, who's been a decent backup big. Decent, yeah. He's better than better than you know Vuk Vucevic at you know the backup big role, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_04 2:57

He was not very good tonight. That that was that was a shame. But that's that starting unit.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

When has he been good this season?

SPEAKER_04 3:03

When when has he been good this season? He worked better in in spurts, but that starting unit had it, man. That was so exciting.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

Yeah, like looking at it, CJ McCollum, and it wasn't like it was a shot chucking kind of night. 25 shots. He went 17 of 25. 10 of 13.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

I'd the wizards all-time uh franchise point record. Yeah, 10 of 13.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

That's it's it's like it like I said, it's not one like it was a night where he took 40 shots and got to 46. It was a he took 25 shots and only had four free throws doing this. Like that's that's that's an insane kind of stat line to look at. It's not like that's all he did. He distributed the rock decently as well. He was getting you know down low a little bit, doing some of the dirty work, grabbing some boards defensively. He didn't look like you know a cone out there like he does sometimes. He looked solid defensively. It was an overall just you know historic night for CJ McCollum.

SPEAKER_04 4:00

Yeah, I'm gonna go down the line and probably compliment um most of the people who played tonight. Uh, but those for he, I think he hit like three threes in the first two minutes. It was insane. Like the Wizards got off to an 11-2 start. Um, I think Kispert had the first bucket of the game. Um, but after that, it was just CJ threes, and he's just walking into them. I don't know what the Hawks were doing, but they were not they were not uh tightly guarding him.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Like he had always speaking of Kispert, where are the Kispert haters now? Where are they now?

SPEAKER_04 4:27

I was going to war for this guy and he never even knew. This so like like he's hot, like two guys who both have hot hands at the same time is so cool to watch.

SPEAKER_03 4:36

It's it's awesome, but like this is this is not the first time we've seen Kispert do this. When he starts, and I'm not saying in a season or two he's going to be a bona fide starter for this team, but you have noticed, and we have a two-game sample size now, but when he has started, we have had a blowout win against the Hawks, and then a game we lost by one point against the Chicago Bulls when he has started those games. Yeah, this team is playing winning basketball with him in the starting lineup. And when I covered him in Dallas, you know, very beginning of the season, their first one of the season, I talked with Keith afterwards, and he noted that he was one of the main reasons they won that game, not because of just his on-court stuff, but because of his off-court stuff, what he was doing on the bench. He's being vocal, yelling out, hey, here's a screen coming, switch, switch, switch, you know, like telling people when there's a mismatch down low, maybe mismatch out on the printer. You can drive right by someone or get a good step back three. He's you know, all you know, he's vocal all the time. And then when you have nights like this where he's putting up 19 points against the Hawks and only what was really like a half and a bat, like one half, you know, and like four minutes that third quarter.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

Yeah. He had he had everything. Like he was getting inside, finishing there. Um, like he had more than that.

SPEAKER_03 5:48

If he finishes out the game, if he finishes out the game, he probably you know helps this team get close to 150.

SPEAKER_04 5:55

Maybe, man. Like he he he had an awesome block at some point. And it's funny that you mentioned his awful. Oh, I saw that, yeah. I I put this on our Slack channel, but um, he's been uh by and large the most um as far as net rating's concerned, um he's been the most positively impactful guy in the rotation. According to uh uh PvP stats.com, he has uh a plus nine swing as a net rating guy. Because offense is I'm gonna get this right. There's so many negative numbers to work with. Uh, because it's like he's he's negative nine nineteen point five nine net rating when he's off, but only negative ten when he's on. Um the defense is about a bucket better. And the the defense is actually like like six or seven points increased as far as like allowing fewer points per 100 possessions. It's just insane the impact he has that you you wouldn't even know if you if if you if you'd like, I don't know, Assel was turned on the street with thinking of Corey Hispert.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

That's and I think some of it comes down to last season, it was a little bit of a step back for him when you look at stats, especially he's been a free points per game. He went down in percentages all across the board besides free throw numbers, but he was taking less free throws per game by almost a whole free throw. So, like a lot of his numbers went down. So people were like, and I get you know, you look at these stats like he regressed, especially with some young guys coming on the team. It's like trade him while he still has value, trade him when he still has value. I'm telling you right now, Corey Kisbert is not gonna be traded. I do not see a world where Corey Kisberg gets traded from how the coaching staff talks about him, from how the front office talks about him, how his teammates talk about him. He is not someone that's gonna be traded.

SPEAKER_04 7:34

The guys love him. I asked CJ after today um what it felt like to, I don't know, to get to pass the baton in real time to someone who was also hot. Um, because that for they were going back and forth for that. They they had like, I think they had a combined 45 points in that first quarter, something insane, or first half, maybe. I I gotta get my facts right on that one. Whatever it was, it was insane. And CJ just attributed that to him being someone who everyone recognizes, um, does his job every day, doesn't care about his role, just shows up and does his thing.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

And he and he does the gritty work as well. It's like that block, it was a blow by uh on him, but he still hustled and got back, and he didn't really care if he got the foul there. He was going in hard, yeah, letting him make it. I think sometimes he was he's fighting for you know rebounds down low. He only finished for three, but he's boxing out, and that's helping other guys get some rebounds and turn it into transition offense as well. He's doing all the tough work that doesn't show up in the box score. And I think that, and I don't want to be this guy saying, Oh, a bunch of you guys saying trade them are box score watchers, but it does seem evident at times you only look, oh, he had eight points, you know, and only took five shots and had two rebounds and an assist. He didn't do anything here, but if you watch the game, you realize how much he's doing, especially in person. I feel like that's when my you know my mindset for Corey Kispert really changed. I knew he was a solid player, all right. I knew you know you might be able to get some value for him, but I was like, eh, don't know if you trade him or not. It's kind of like this limbo situation, as there's also some veterans that are probably going to get traded this year as well, like Chris Middleton or CJ, even though CJ, yeah, this historic night. But truth of the matter is there will be teams that'll be looking at guys like that on the market that are trying to be contenders, you know, this uh coming summer. So, but once I saw Kispert in person, that's when I realized, man, this guy, he he does all the little stuff that helps you form a winning basketball team.

SPEAKER_04 9:28

He's a professional. And um I'm I'm glad uh I'm glad you watched this game and didn't just listen because there's another player who I don't think is gonna get recognized for what he did tonight. I thought Bub Carrington was really good on defense. Like he was getting after it. Dude, first game article. He had his own little section. He was pressing like he he was everywhere, he was shooting with confidence too. He had 10 points on four or six shooting. He got to the one triple pull-up in the mid-range. I saw that one. One of the best games he's played so far.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

He looked really good out there. Granted, he had the three turnovers, would like to see that go down, but I don't care. He's looking confident, he's knocking down his shots now. He got six assists off the bench. And honestly, I'm gonna be writing an article, so I don't want to, you know, like spoil the whole article, but I'm writing an article over you know what the starting five should be rest of the season. He he may or may not be in there.

SPEAKER_04 10:20

He it's interesting. Like he really was really intrigued to see um how the second unit would try to carry the momentum over after they got off to I'm gonna estimate here like a 45 to 15 start. It was something along those lines. And um, some guys had it, some guys didn't. We all we already mentioned uh Vuksevich did uh did not. Um I thought Kim Whitmore was gonna try to get in on the action. I thought he was gonna have like a bad case of FOMO and just but that's the thing, and and those were almost all in the first half. But uh Bub did show up and was able to keep the passing going because that's how they did it. They got these these turnovers from Atlanta who just couldn't hit a three. That's the thing. Like it's not even like the wizards were just killing them on the perimeter, like smothering them, they just couldn't hit a three. Um, and whenever they tried to go inside, they just kept generating these turnovers and they just kept getting out there and running and transition, and Bub was there to pass ahead. Really valuable stuff.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

Yeah, and almost everyone played, only Gil and AJ Johnson were the only two not to play, which I don't understand why AJ Johnson's not playing. He was healthy, and Branham just could Branham did, and that really surprised me seeing that. Seeing Branham get you know nine minutes of action and AJ Johnson to get any. That's my one little critique there. But this game, it's NBA cup action, so the point differential matters. I know some people are talking about oh, take CJ out and let the young guys get some runtime here. Well, get 46. Yeah, 46. Let him try to get 50. Let him try to get 50. That's that's my take on that. But also, it's the NBA cup. Point differential matters. You want to try to win as much as you can because you know, love it or hate it, this is the closest thing to a playoff atmosphere these young guys are gonna get before they start trying to make some moves in the Eastern Conference. This is the closest thing that they'd get to a playoff-like atmosphere. Yeah, and the people and it does help. And it does help, all right. If you, you know, if you make it to the knockout round, because now it's winner-go home, pretty much. Like you treat it like a playoff game because you know, uh, and especially some of these guys that are on rookie deals or two-ways or these vet minimums. You think you think Gil doesn't want that extra what$250,000 you get if you win?

SPEAKER_04 12:30

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:31

Like there, like there are actual you know things that go into play here. Jameer Watkins, you don't think he wants that? Brandum? To Vegas we go. Like, and you know, odds are they they don't make it because you need an insane amount of luck now to make it, but they're third of the group. They're third of the group, and they have a legit chance of finishing two and two in this group. They play the Pacers Friday for that for that final cup game.

SPEAKER_04 12:54

I was talking about this with some of the reporters after the game that um it's only given a matter of time before there's some team that is only good during the NBA Cup games, like some team that just turns all the way up during the seeding games, and then was the Bucs like just some team that just shows up for the tournament with only four or five wins of their name, but they're all on Friday.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

I I think it was like the Bucks and Hawks last year that were really because the Hawks weren't great last year, if I remember. You're right, especially early in the season. They made it to the Simmies.

SPEAKER_04 13:26

That's pretty fun.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

They lost they lost to the Bucs, and like they were they did not have a 500 record whatsoever. And it's not like the Bucs were great last year either, but they ended up winning it all. Well, they have NBA Cup killer Darwin Ham.

SPEAKER_04 13:38

Like, I don't know how you can compete with that.

SPEAKER_03 13:40

I just like, but there are teams like that, and uh man, I'm trying to think about the other cup games because they they are all blowouts, but I don't know if they were like to an extent where the entire game was a blowout, or it was that second half as we've seen all season where oh game's out of hand now, you can see the tanking and effect.

SPEAKER_04 14:02

Yeah, yeah. I um there's been they they've been just coming right to the edge of this sort of game the last few days. Um that Chicago game, they were up by 10, not a million like they were this time. And it was just a matter of time before they actually closed it. And uh they got this one, and uh, I couldn't be happier for them. It's only mat you can only take so much losing.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

You can only take so much. You need a win at some point. The other team in their group is the Cavs, right?

SPEAKER_04 14:32

They already yeah, they lost the Cavs already.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Um and that game, it wasn't like it was a blowout, you know, at the end of the game. It was a semi-blowout. Semi. They were down by 13 in the first quarter, then down by 16, which is a management deficit. But when you're going against one of the favorites in the East and the Cavs, you're you know, one of the worst teams of the league at the moment, down by 16. Uh, you know, it was kind of a win in my book. Kind of a win.

SPEAKER_04 14:57

Yeah, yeah. And we're not even we're not even done talking about all the all the guys who uh showed up big tonight.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

No, have you mentioned that the Raptors game wasn't any different whatsoever. They were down by 10 at half. Yeah, very manageable game that they could have ended up winning, but then you notice, oh, second half is here. Clearly, they're tanking. They don't want some of these wins because it could affect their odds at first overall, especially with a certain team owning so many lottery picks right now.

SPEAKER_04 15:22

No, that's ridiculous. These guys, these guys wanted it. Um, I mean, they call it a players-only meeting because it just kept happening.

SPEAKER_03 15:28

Oh, yeah. It kept happening, and I think you do notice a little bit of a change after that.

SPEAKER_04 15:34

I mean, they could have they could have won so many of these games that they've played in the last few days.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Um beginning of the season. Like, I I look at some of these games. There are some winnable games out there that look on the schedule, especially to start the season. They could have easily been two and two after four games. They dropped a horrible you know, loss to Philadelphia in overtime. No reason they should have lost that game whatsoever. But then you also have a 17-point loss against the Knicks. That isn't a lot. I feel like they're missing some guys for that game as well. Some other games you go down the line, the uh other Dallas game could have easily won that if people stayed out of foul treble, could have beat the Pistons in overtime as well. Yep. Like there, there are some games I look at. Even the Wolves were sort of uh even the wolves could have won that one. Like, I'm looking at this, and let's say they are, you know, perfect world, they're healthy, okay, and you know, Keyshawn George learns how not to foul out anymore. That'd be sweet. All right, that that would be awesome. But I look at it, they would have right now, they would probably have one, two. Uh let's give them no, let's not give them that one, that one. Three, four, five, six, seven wins right now. Yeah, I can't believe that. That's a clear difference from you know two and fifteen right now to then seven and trying to do math, seven and twelve? Nope, no, no, god, no, that's wrong. Seven and eight? Seven, seven and eight. That's a huge difference. Granted, wait, you don't have your own first wait, they're two and fifteen, and so it's got to be seventeen, right?

SPEAKER_04 17:15

Yeah, so seven and ten. Seven and ten.

SPEAKER_03 17:17

Still not bad, but it's clear, you know, you need to lose because you don't own your own first-round draft pick. It has to be top eight for you to get it back. So yeah, you kind of want to be one of the bottom four teams in the league, so you're secure you get it back. So I get why they're doing it, but I think you have to look at it in the grand scheme of things. Like, this team's still extremely raw and young. They're still getting better. Yeah, there's some games that they just haven't learned how to close out yet, like that Dallas game, Minnesota one, Chicago. Those three are games where like you just need to know how to close out. Yeah, you have CJ McCollum, Chris Middleton, but you're not trying to get them to learn because they're older and they're not gonna be on the team past the season. You need to get Keyshawn George to learn how to close out games, Alex Sarr to learn how to close out games, Balal.

SPEAKER_04 17:58

Like, yeah, luckily this one didn't come down to the wire. And this is one of those games where I didn't care how they got it done, just get it done. Like after a while, you needed to win. Just get it done. You needed to win. I gotta ask, at what point did you actually think they were gonna win this one?

SPEAKER_03 18:12

Second half. Uh you know, start the second half.

SPEAKER_04 18:14

I Oh, oh no. It wasn't until like the fourth quarter. Like 10, like a few minutes into the fourth quarter, because there was a guy here who was a main character for a lot of Wizards fans. Um Luke Kennard is on the Hawks. And I don't know how to the boogeyman for a lot of Wizards fans. I was actually at the game where the Wizards blew a 35-point lead to the Clippers in the 2022 season, and it was awful. I like was texting my girlfriend at the time that, like, oh, we got this one. It's like a 35-point game. I'm just wasting my time, wasting my money even getting this ticket. It's such a crazy game. Um, like Montres Harrell and Spencer Dinwiddie and Brittans were on that team. Awful stuff. And uh they ended up losing that game. And I figured there's just there's just there's always a way with this team. This the Wizards can lose any any game. And uh you know what's crazy. What's up?

SPEAKER_03 19:05

ESPN gave Atlanta an 84.3% chance to win tonight.

SPEAKER_04 19:10

So that's the thing. There came a point where um they cut it down from like 30 to 13 and like like to around this around the end of the first quarter, and I was like, they better do something fast. But uh they locked back in. They got the defense back going because the second quarter, the Hawks hit like a million shots to get back in it.

SPEAKER_03 19:27

Yeah, well, like start of the third quarter, you know, they ended up getting up by like 23, 25 points, and that's when I noticed it's like, okay, they they've got this in the bag because CJ wasn't missing. Uh, because sometimes I feel like we've seen these games where the team is up at half, or it's a close game after half, or they're down by you know 10 points or less. Still very manageable. You could still come back from that, but everyone comes out of that second half, it's only one guy can make a shot, and no one else can do anything to save their life. It wasn't that kind of game out of half. I noticed everyone was still doing what they were doing in that first half, and it's like, okay, they've got this one.

SPEAKER_04 20:04

You know, really helped in that second half was Chris Middleton.

SPEAKER_03 20:07

Chris Middleton helped out the entire game. 12 assists, nine in that first half.

SPEAKER_04 20:13

Yeah, and even though he wasn't doing the same farming that he that he was in the back half, um his touches are more valuable than than they look a lot of the time because I guess if you're just tuning in, you see he's just dribbling the out of the ball. He does get the defensive collapse in on himself and he makes the pass. And sometimes when he's got a little guy on him, he can do that, do that turnaround shot. And uh productive stuff.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

Really, really, really pleased. Yeah, he was productive, and I still don't know if he, you know, fully healthy team, if he should be starting. I'm still unsure about that. Probably not. He's he's been he's been productive in some of the time that he has gotten. Uh CJ McCollum. First, you know, five games were rough. Last, what is it now? Seven or no, twelve games. He he's looked so much better. He's looked so much better the past 12 games, though, where you know you're at least getting like 20 from him that we've all you know, that's what we know CJ McCollum for. And he knew at least get you 20.

SPEAKER_04 21:09

Yeah, he knew it. He's he talked about like he said this at like a bunch of press conferences now that he's just he was just bricking easy shots and he knew that he had it in him. We knew he had it in him. And um that was that was really thrilling stuff to see just a just a hot hand unleashed. I don't know why the Hawks either if they changed their defensive strategy, it didn't show. Um, they were just allowing open guys from the perimeter all the time, whether it was an open pull-up shot, um, even though Kispert and TJ started shooting from deeper and deeper as the game went on. But like yeah, Balal got free on uh just a no one picked him up at one point in the first half. It was really odd.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

Yeah. The only thing I will say about this game I want to see, you know, more of is you know, bench production as the team only had only had twenty one bench points, which you can't win a lot of games doing that. It helps when Your starters can you combine for over a hundred points, but when's that going to happen? Usually your starters will get you like 80 points, and you need your bench to get you around 40.

SPEAKER_04 22:08

Yeah, I can't help but wonder how this I know this is useless because the wizards won, but like I can't help but wonder what would have happened if uh Porzingis showed up. If they blew this game and you look at the bench and but um Porzingis was ready to shoot when he showed up. He took like the first like half dozen shots, um, and they all just sort of trickled out. A lot of them could have gone in, they just didn't. Um, and they never recovered. Jalen Johnson was like three for twelve. A lot of those uh misses came early. Um and Keyshawn wasn't there. This is such a strange game.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Yeah, it was a strange game. Like getting the win without Keyshawn and Shrek really strange. Like that's and I this is I don't think it's a correlation whatsoever. It's like, oh, the team wins more when Keyshawn's off the floor.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

This isn't the Ewing theory instance that we're getting.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

No, it's it's not that. It's just I'm I'm looking at the stats. They shot 57% from the field and 50% from three. Like anytime a team does that, you're probably going to win.

SPEAKER_04 23:04

And that would have been 60% from the field if it weren't for the goofing that happened from the bench unit in the last few minutes.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

Um, yeah, especially like God, I don't want to harp on him at Branham. It's just it's not good. Like, I I don't I don't want to harp on him. All right, and some of it could be, you know, anger still boiling down that it's you know, kept Branham over Jones, which I still think he had a better, you know, offseason than Branham when you look at it. I think he looked better in summer league. I think he looked better in preseason as well in the time he got. I you know, I know it probably came down to you know a money reason. I I know that was probably it. All right.

SPEAKER_04 23:41

It was it was age and money.

SPEAKER_03 23:43

A age and money was like you know, the decision factory.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

Dylan Jones is an old dude.

SPEAKER_03 23:48

Yeah, for for you know, a two-year, you know, second-year player, he's 24 years old or something like that. I get it. And Brandon's fourth-year player who's 23, 24. I I get the age thing. The money thing I don't really get because it's not that big of a difference. You have a ton in cap space already. But like, if it's age, I get that. I just think when you looked at the offseason and everything, Jones was a better player, but not about that. It just frustrates me. Like, you got he got nine minutes tonight. He he, you know, he almost got the same amount of time as Whitmore and uh Vuksevic. That was that was but Riley and Watkins only got three minutes.

SPEAKER_04 24:22

Very end.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

That wasn't anything. Like, I want to see more minutes from Riley and especially Watkins as what does this team suck at? Defense. What is Watkins' special team? Defense, just see what he can do. Throw him to find the rim on these threes. Yeah, just just throw him in for like three minutes in the first quarter, see what he does.

SPEAKER_04 24:44

Yeah, I guess. Yeah, this game was different because this game was just win at all costs, but other games didn't.

SPEAKER_03 24:48

Yeah, win it all costs. But like I just want to see a game where he gets a uh you know decent amount of time, like I said, three minutes in the first quarter, especially like at the end of the first quarter against other bench players. See what he can do, see if he can be a spark defensively that can generate easy points on the other end. Just give him a chance, especially with Riley as well.

SPEAKER_04 25:06

More importantly, um, there is one pretty important player who we haven't talked about that much.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

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SPEAKER_04 25:44

Go ahead. Like Sar was awesome.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

Yeah, so I thought you were gonna say champagne.

SPEAKER_04 25:52

I wouldn't say he was awesome. He was just he, you know, he didn't um, you know, not his night. But um Sar. CJ and Chris Kispert both started hot, kept it going. There wasn't much interior play during that run. No. Sar got his points the good old-fashioned way, just consistent play all game long. Um, went up strong, played like a man, um, and he has that turnaround shot that seems to go in almost every time now. It's not a crutch. It's it's a it's a it's a trick in his bag. It there's so much that he can go to right now. He just wasn't anything like this kind of versatile player for a while and just keeps blowing my mind every time I see him live. 11 for 15, he shot 11 for 15.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

He knocked down a three-pointer as well. He only took two threes, went one for two. You know, free throws aren't fallen. Not a great rate. Let's be honest there.

SPEAKER_04 26:39

Four of eight, don't against the first overall pick, I might add.

SPEAKER_03 26:43

Yes, against his rival. Against his rival, as people in the league would like to say. Oh, yeah. But you know, it's it was a smooth double-double, 27 points, 11 rebounds. He also had four stocks tonight as well. I love stocks. Mean block, and that's that's what that's one of my favorite stats out there is stocks. I love them. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:03

Really, really good stocks.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

Like, it was a great night, plus 30, plus minus. He was you know, had the second highest plus minus right now. Highest of his career, baby. Highest of his career. It was, yeah. And so it was it was a great night for everyone. Played good, besides like you know, two players, I would say.

SPEAKER_04 27:20

Some bench guys, but even if there were lapses where you definitely saw the defense get away from some of the starters, um, SARS-strapped, Bilal did a ton of disruption along the wing. Um, Bub had active hands. The older fellas got engaged, picked up loose balls, threw him ahead. Kisper did a lot of the same.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

I like how Bilal's two made shots from the field tonight as well, were just drive-by dunks. I I like that. I want to see him attack more, especially when the three-point shot isn't falling. Like tonight, it wasn't falling. No, so I really like to see him attack like that because he is physical, he's strong, he's aggressive, he can jump. Why not just get your you know, buckets the old-fashioned way and like I'm gonna jump higher than you are? You're not gonna block this shot right here. Like, I'm gonna try to you know throw it down on you. And he did that two times when you know he needed to.

SPEAKER_04 28:10

Yeah, there's there's the Wizards had chances after that strong start to let go of the rope, and you did see a little bit. And they did it. But if I was impressed by two ways that the team generally uh handled how they carry momentum, a thing they haven't had much experience with this season. I liked that they were able to build the lead back up to 20-ish not long after letting it slip to 13 um in the first half. But also, everyone kept playing their game. Balal didn't start jacking because the score was crazy. He he kept playing smart and finding his shots. Same with Cam Whitmore, even if he didn't do a ton on the box score.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Um, these guys just you know, box score says he did, you know, jack all today. Like he, you know, did nothing. He got what, a steal and a block. That was it. He missed his one shot of the game. But you know, there was some miscommunication at times, especially when they were up big by like 30 in that four first quarter. There was a fast up break opportunity between him and Vuk. He threw it up and Vuk did not know what was going on whatsoever.

SPEAKER_04 29:09

Yeah, that was that was bad.

SPEAKER_03 29:11

That that was bad. I don't know if that was a Whitmore thing or you know, a Tristan thing. Still trying to figure it that out, if it was both, maybe. But like, you know, even then he had the second highest plus minus off the bench at plus one. Like he he just did the he he did the intangibles. Like he yeah, like this is the kind of stuff that you know helps you win games is when players do the you know, you know, dirty work down low, like oh box out, get aggressive down low a little bit, set some screens. And he was doing that stuff. He only got 10 minutes, but he was doing that stuff. That's why I think Kispert works so well in the starting lineup, is because there's no one really in this starting five right now that does the dirty work, but Kispert's not afraid to do it.

SPEAKER_04 29:56

Yeah, as far as dirty work goes, um, for role players, Kispert's gotten a lot better at it. Um and Champinny. But um outside of that, like you need vets. Need vets, just don't always need like the score for vests. I'm not like tonight, they don't hurt.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

Yeah, no, like tonight they don't hurt. You know, like like I said earlier, do I think one of CJ and Chris are gonna get traded? Yeah, I think we all kind of know like they're probably gonna get traded, especially if CJ keeps having nights like this. But I I just think one of them is gonna get traded. I don't I understand that you know you're gonna have a lot of cap space for them afterwards, but you can use one of them to trade for a younger guy, more picks as well, especially second rounders, as those are really valuable, as we you know, we talked about with Tyler the other day. Second round picks are extremely valuable right now in the NBA. If you can get some for some of these players, do it. If you can get a player in return, that works out even better as well. I know there's gonna be teams out there that are gonna be looking for a guard that can play kind of like the uh that third option role for a championship team. And I think CJ is a guy teams will look at. And it's not like his contract is super hefty. Um it's just regular hefty, it's just regular hefty. And like for a player like him, it doesn't surprise me that you know it's it's that cost. I mean, he's you know, you're you know what you're getting at him, 20 points per game, you know, like five rebounds. You know, he's like decent player, 30 mil right now. Like it's easy it's an easier contract to match than Chris Middleton, who's making like 34.

SPEAKER_04 31:32

Yeah, yeah. And so not as not quite as good.

SPEAKER_03 31:36

Yeah, I know, I know, you know, like he had a great night, and I'm not trying to be negative fancy over here, just saying these are the kinds of performances that helps out when you're in that front office and you know some of these players have value, and this is the only year you have them. Try not to get you know even more value out of them in a trade.

SPEAKER_04 31:52

Yeah, no, everyone involved, uh even even past the obvious winning their second game. Everyone won individually tonight. That's that's what made the special that everyone contributed.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

Yes, it was you know, like all the players won because they got a win under the belt, and majority of them look great out there. Coaching staff won this, and this is not like it's a bad Hawks team either. This Hawks team had the 10th best defense going in this game. They're a playoff team, they made all the moves that they possibly could to get themselves in the right spot this year in the Eastern Conference to try to make the finals, get over that hump that they've been trying to do with Trey Young the past few years. They are they went all in, and you were able to beat this team. Uh, that helps out the coaching staff. It gets the fan base off your back a little bit as well. Getting this win helps out the front office because A, it gets the fan base off your back, just like for the coaching staff does, and B with some of these players that you know potentially gonna be traded. It it did increase their value tonight. Just depends if they can do it again.

SPEAKER_04 32:47

Just made me think the Pistons 20 game losing streak, that's like impossible. Like this losing streak, uh what did it hit? Four uh 14. Um that's half of that, and it felt like an eternity. That's two months of losing. I I was just thinking about it. This is just this is a brutal month.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

I have my fingers crossed and everything, knocking on wood right now. Here they have a chance. They have a chance to go on a little bit of a winning streak with these next few games.

SPEAKER_04 33:18

I mean, that's this is why I just I didn't believe that they were that that bad. It's it's like the cade quote. It's it's it's like the cade quote, yeah. I I kept repeating the cade quote because I believed it. I just didn't think they were that bad as the as the record showed. They got something and they have like some of these habits. Their defense is still it doesn't like it.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

You had some really tough teams to start the season. Like you had to play against Milwaukee, who loaded up on talent, is you know, extra you know, healthy to start the year as well. But then you know, they're a playoff team. They have Giannis. They have Giannis, they got Miles Turner, who I you know I think is a very valuable big man in the NBA. Why are you looking at me like that? Um, I mean, he's he's alright. But he's valuable. It's not like you know he's bad. You know, top 15 center. Uh I would say.

SPEAKER_04 34:09

I gotta think about that.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

I I would say, but going down the list a little bit as well, Philadelphia looked great to start the year as well, with you know, Edgecombe having that great start, Maxie as well. Um, I think that was the game, and Bede came back as well. I gotta think about that that Miles Turner thing. Um then you go play OKC, Orlando, New York, Boston, Cleveland all back to back. Like that's that's a tough stretch right there. Then you have Detroit and Houston back to back, Minnesota, Toronto's looked really good this year, Chicago's looked decent this year. Like, you played some tough teams to start the year where it's like some of these losses kind of like okay, that five stretch between OKC, Orlando, New York, Boston, and Cleveland, all playoff teams. You know, I would say three of those teams are you know favorites to make the finals. And then now looking, you know, like and then the other two are playoff teams as well. Like, you know, it's it was just a tough schedule. Like we started off, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:07

But Godspeed.

SPEAKER_03 35:09

It's it got something to it's going to heal up a little bit though, like this December stretch. And thank God it's coming because you go, you know, because Wimby's still out, right? That's right. Yeah, for a few weeks. Wimby's still out, and you go like you have a stretch of San Antonio, Memphis, San Antonio, Charlotte. That that's a nice four-game stretch right there. Try to get tune up, go two and two right there. Very possible. Very possible. And then you have Memphis and Phoenix at home. Very possible to win those as well. Phoenix has looked better the past few games as well, but it is the Suns. They are the Suns. Yeah, they're not bad.

SPEAKER_04 35:47

They're not bad, but even the Suns.

SPEAKER_03 35:52

No way, they're that good. 11 and 7. Damn. I I thought I thought they were like 8 and 9, 8 and 10, something like that.

SPEAKER_04 36:02

No, they I know that they've like had they they're definitely like a middling, like they had they they don't beat elite teams. Um, but they have a lot of guys who can shoot. It's six.

SPEAKER_03 36:12

Some point is how that like I'm I'm looking at it where it's like they haven't beat like elite teams. Like there was a stretch where they went LA back, like Clippers back to back, Dallas, and then Indian, and Indiana and New Orleans. Like, not elite teams whatsoever. No, but then they're they lost to the Hawks, they lost to the Rockets. They're not beating elite teams.

SPEAKER_04 36:32

They're young, they have a lot of shooters and a lot of tryhards. Like, they have a lot of features that can help you hang in the West.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

Yeah. They're like, I'm looking at it, a lot of their wins are coming from teams that are, you know, lot like lottery teams this year. I look at it. The only team that they beat, I wouldn't say, is a for sure lottery team, is the Timberwolves.

SPEAKER_04 36:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:52

That was everyone else, like Portland, they're gonna be a lottery team. I know they had a decent start as well. I I think they're a lottery team because I don't think you know the teams that they play in the play-in, if they make it there, I don't think they're beating them. Because you gotta think Golden State's gonna be in the play-in, and Golden State's gonna make a move.

SPEAKER_04 37:09

Okay, because I was gonna say like the Blazers like murder the Warriors last night.

SPEAKER_03 37:14

And so I just I don't think come you know, playoff atmosphere time, they're not, I don't think they're beating them.

SPEAKER_04 37:20

I probably not, but I wouldn't put it past them.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

I I just don't think so.

SPEAKER_04 37:24

I just don't think these are not the Warriors.

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Clippers, if they're a play-in team, and especially if it's a healthy Clippers where they have Kawhi and Harvard.

SPEAKER_04 37:32

That's a bigger if that I'm willing to give them.

SPEAKER_03 37:34

That's a bigger if, but like I just look at some of these where it's like I don't see them beating some of these fringe playoff teams. Lakers, I feel like are French, you know, like play-in, playoff team, like like between the buttons. I'm saying like fringe playoff, play-in. Like they could be they could easily be the four seed, but they could easily find themselves in that like that seven-seed spot where they have to be in the play-in now.

SPEAKER_04 37:58

Okay, they're using their fringe playoff team, and I was like, what?

SPEAKER_03 38:01

No, no, no, no. I'm saying, like, you know, that's the kind of like the Blazers would get is like Lakers find themselves as a seven-seed, you know, and let's say they play the Warriors that first game, they lose that first game of the play-in, now they have to play the Blazers. Are the Blazers beating the Lakers?

SPEAKER_04 38:15

Probably not.

SPEAKER_03 38:16

No, that's what I'm saying. Like, some of these, you know, teams that the Suns beat, they're kind of like, you know, fringe like play-in lottery teams, they're not really like in that good spot yet. Same with the Blazers.

SPEAKER_04 38:29

Yeah. So the West everyone has like the same record out there right now, except for the Thunder. And uh then the Nuggets Rockets, and then like a dozen teams.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

They're leak their leagues above. I saw a stat the other day talking about like highest point differential. It's insane. I think they're I think the point direct, and this was before they played the game yesterday. I feel I think they played. But they were a plus 278 in point differential. Absolutely crazy. You know what the wizards were before this one though? What minus 268.

SPEAKER_05 39:02

Oh!

SPEAKER_04 39:06

So we just shaved 20 points off that. Good job, fellas. Uh 19 points. 19. That dang bench unit.

SPEAKER_03 39:15

But speaking of points, this is like this is why we had those guys in, the starters in there, because point differential matters. Yeah, and I'm not saying they're not eliminated from the cup yet. They're not eliminated. There is a there's like a 2% chance that they can make it to the knockout stage. They just gotta get extremely lucky.

SPEAKER_04 39:33

No, these are the never say die wizards you're talking about right now. Like, give them a shot against the Pacers. Easy. Yeah, no, easy.

SPEAKER_03 39:40

Like they can beat the Pacers 100%. Yeah, and I I'm confident that they do beat the Pacers. I am, especially if you have Keyshawn George back.

unknown 39:49

Faster.

SPEAKER_03 39:50

Very confident they beat him. Very confident they beat him.

SPEAKER_04 39:52

Everyone's settling more into their roles. It it you know, there's more Kisper, a little less Middleton. Um, Keyshawn and CJ are figuring out their push and pull a bit more. Yeah, things are progressing.

SPEAKER_03 40:05

Things are progressing. I'm gonna find my party favors.

SPEAKER_04 40:08

Oh, this felt so good.

SPEAKER_03 40:10

It was it was a good win. I everyone needed this. Everyone, Wizards fan base needed this, the coaching staff needed this, the players needed this, the front office needed it.

SPEAKER_04 40:20

The city needed this. The city needed this. Like just the DC sports landscape is had had we had a little um breath of fresh air last year. Uh the commanders have three wins. Um, this team has two, and they had one until a few hours ago. Um needed it. You get you got the Nats. Got the Nats, haven't played a playoff game since 2019. Haven't been around.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

You won the World Series, you know, played a playoff game since then. That's kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_04 40:51

It's more than kind of crazy. It's it's just ridiculous. Because as someone told me a while ago that you have like only you have like a five-year period where you can't complain about your team after they win a title. Um, it's been more than that, so I can say whatever I want.

SPEAKER_03 41:04

Yeah, you're at that point. Where it's like, you know, talking about you know, like titles and everything, Rangers won it in 2023. Oh, yeah. That was the first championship I ever got to witness. First one I ever got to witness. Like one of my teams winning it all. Okay, and then they didn't make the playoffs in that following year, but you know, they had a ton of injuries, so like, you know, that's expected. It's not like baseball playoffs, it's really hard to make it back to the playoffs. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

And I was thinking about extremely hard. I'm a Nats fan, you're a Rangers fan. We're probably fans of like the two two of the strangest World Series winning teams of the 21st century. I think yours is weird than mine. Um, but they were both definitely up there.

SPEAKER_03 41:44

I I did not have a ton of faith for the Rangers to win that one, especially after seeing them lose uh both their home games to the Astros that tied up the series 2-2. That was an awesome series. Or no, they I think it was three because they it'cause baseball goes 2-3-2, right?

SPEAKER_04 42:03

That's right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:04

It goes 2-3-2. So they lost three in a row at home to the Astros. And I was like, it's over.

SPEAKER_05 42:09

Throw the Nets to the same team.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

They can't close out you know game six or seven in Houston. And then they ended up winning every single road game that playoff series.

SPEAKER_04 42:19

Dude, like that that's how the Nats won the World Series. They they lost everyone.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

You had Scherzer, we had Scherzer.

SPEAKER_04 42:25

Yeah, same. There we go. And I think I think the Rangers were weirder than the Nats that uh because at least the Nats had like a track record. Um, and they were in the playoffs all the time.

SPEAKER_03 42:35

The Rangers did this without arguably their best player in the game.

SPEAKER_04 42:38

Yeah, and they were start to finish the best team in the playoffs. Like it was dominant. Like the Nats like just were completely stat padding elimination games. Um and then you had a Dolis Garcia turn into Barry Bonds. And now he got didn't he get like non-tendered a few days ago?

SPEAKER_03 42:53

Sad day. That's insane. Sad day. Well, like he is getting older. I I think he's like 30 something. He's older than you think. I I think that's why because you know, like they realize he's getting up there in age a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 43:09

Yeah, I think he's 32 years old.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

You you could see there was a clear decline from that 2023 season to last season. He only had 19 home runs and hit 227.

SPEAKER_04 43:21

Well, what were his regular season stats during the 2023 season? Because I feel like everyone in that roster just turned up in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Uh let me check. I'll tell you.

SPEAKER_04 43:30

Like a team-wide heat check.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

He was an all-star that season.

SPEAKER_04 43:34

Really?

SPEAKER_03 43:35

245, had 39 home runs, 328 on base percentage, 508 slugging, 836 OPS. Like he had a great 2023 season. He wasn't like I said, he was an all-star. He was a killer in those playoffs. Second, second all star appearance he's ever made.

SPEAKER_04 43:52

I'd enjoy I enjoyed that. I enjoyed that World Series for what it was, even though it wasn't very memorable.

SPEAKER_03 43:58

I I think because It's you know, I say small markets, Dallas is a big market, all right? But when you think when you think of baseball, you're not thinking of the Texas Rangers. No, you're not thinking of the Arizona Diamondbacks, no, sir. You're thinking of the coastal teams. Whereas for like football, you're you're gonna be thinking of you know Dallas Cowboys because it's the Dallas Cowboys. Like everyone knows who the Dallas Cowboys are, they're so marketed around the NFL for everyone. Well, it's like baseball, you don't think of Dallas.

SPEAKER_04 44:26

Yeah, people were complaining about the 2023 World Series um because they're like, who the hell are these teams? But then it was Yankees, Dodgers the next year. People are still pooping on. It's like people just don't know what they want. You have to remember sports fans just don't know what they want.

SPEAKER_03 44:38

Like last year's finals, 2025 finals. Everyone was hating on it, but if you watch, like it was some really good teams. Um like you mean beforehand, right? 2025. Thunderpacers. Oh, they're talking about NBA Finals. Yeah, NBA finals, Thunder Pacers. No one was hating on that in the moment. No, no, everyone was hating on it.

SPEAKER_04 44:59

No, they well, here's the thing: you and I ingest different pieces you are ingesting straight Oklahoma City media. Maybe that's why. Because everyone I read or listened to was talking about, I mean, it started with a game winner.

SPEAKER_03 45:13

I'm I'm talking not not the media because the media clearly loved it. Media, everyone was like, this is a really good series. No, if you looked on Twitter, everyone I'm not saying world series, I'm saying NBA Finals. Yeah, I said series. It was a series. I thought you said World Series. No, no, oh bad. But like the everyone was hating on it because it was like this is unethical hoops, blah, blah, blah, blah. No one wants to watch shade. That was the whole Twitter timeline, whole Instagram timeline, whole TikTok timeline. They might have to be able to do that. Media didn't care. Media didn't care, but people was like, who want like the all social media was like, who wants to watch a team from Indiana or Oklahoma City play in the NBA championship? I'm telling you, if you go back, there was so much hate on that finals.

SPEAKER_04 45:52

There definitely are. I just you're talking about like the ghouls and like Elon's replies. Like, that's that's like a different kind of thing. Like, they're not there to watch the sport, they're there to just go on the real app and uh comment under someone and post a screenshot.

SPEAKER_03 46:07

It's oh I'm telling you, if you go back and look at it, there was so much hate on that finals because it was small markets.

SPEAKER_04 46:13

Was there hate on the finals or Shay?

SPEAKER_03 46:15

The finals itself. There was there was just hate in general in that finals because it was like it's two small market teams, two of the smallest markets in the NBA. No one wants to watch that. They're complaining you're not gonna get ratings because it's oh, you don't have LA in the finals, you don't have New York in the finals. That's why people were complaining because you had two arguably two of the I say arguably post-January. You know what teams had the best records?

SPEAKER_04 46:42

Was it those two?

SPEAKER_03 46:43

Yes. Post-January, they were the best teams in basketball. But everyone was coming complaining because it's like unethical hoops, they're small market teams, no one wants to watch this. You can't market a team in Indiana or OKC.

SPEAKER_04 46:58

There's someone with an opinion for everything. You just you can't listen to some people. Anyone who's actually saying like this final sucks because of the markets involved. Um, it's playing uh couch surfing network executive, the kind of role that no one actually cares to listen to because it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_03 47:16

They're on their mom's couch in the living room playing Clash Royale while they have YouTube on. It sounds like a lovely afternoon. Honestly, it does. I could go for some Clash Royale.

SPEAKER_04 47:27

Well, next Wizard's game, you get to listen to Clash Royale as as a as as a little reward for uh this little win they got.

SPEAKER_03 47:34

Oh my goodness. I don't know if I want to play anymore, though, now that they you know added level 16 and these you know heroes to the game. You just have to find a little rant today. That's my that's my rant today is that Clash Royale Supercell. I don't know why you guys did this, but the fact that you know a mini Pekka can now reach level 21 or more is insane. Why it makes no sense? It makes no sense. Oh my goodness, that's so broken. The night hero ability is broken as well. He pretty much takes the whole arena and has every card focused on him, so you can just have a giant push and win right there because of it, because he's so tanky.

SPEAKER_04 48:18

Is there a customer service desk you can take this complaint to?

SPEAKER_03 48:21

You don't care, do you?

SPEAKER_04 48:23

I haven't actually played Clash Royale in like a decade, so I'm just completely out of touch.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

It's I am just such an old guy right now. It's fun, but like, oh I remember being fun. Dude, if I get one more comment saying Corey Kispert's a trade asset, what do you mean? When I have literal proof that he is not viewed as a trade asset, I will actually lose my mind. I am calling this dude out right here, uh Steven Powers, DC Stones, 1978. Uh Corey continues to develop, but odds are he is a trade asset just as Denny was after Wizard's front office gave him a second contract. I have literal quotes up on my page in articles explaining why Corey Kispert will not be traded. You have that as well. Why do people not understand this?

SPEAKER_04 49:13

I mean, I said like there's someone with an opinion for everything. And if he's saying if his if the point he's making is that Kispert isn't around for the long haul or isn't here for the full rebuild, maybe. I don't know. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna do it. Well, what?

SPEAKER_03 49:26

Then he was traded after his first year of his second contract? Say it again? Then he was traded after his first year of his second contract, right?

SPEAKER_04 49:35

Yes. Yeah, because he was in the 2020 draft, so he signed the extension in 2023.

SPEAKER_03 49:42

I'm looking at his contracts and everything's not gonna be gonna look at it. Because I'm not I'm not completely sure. So I want to look at him. It's a good deal. Uh he was traded as soon as he signed. So they must have was he a free agent then? No, because he was he was traded. He was traded, restricted, probably, you know, okay. Then traded. That's because he was but like I I am telling you, like, if you this is where I'm ending, you know, like my you know parts for the show tonight. If you still believe Corey Kispert is only viewed as a trade asset and you don't think he's a good basketball player and doesn't affect winning basketball after watching these past two games with him as a starter, go touch grass. Just go watch the game. Yeah, don't watch grass.

SPEAKER_04 50:38

Actually, just stay inside and watch the games.

SPEAKER_03 50:41

Turn everything off and only watch what Corey Kispert does in the game. Watch him because I am telling you, he impacts winning basketball so much. He is a good player, he's not getting traded. At least this season, he's not getting traded. I'll say that. He likes three seasons down the line, maybe. Yeah, you can revisit. Maybe. Right now, though, I am telling you from how this front office, how this coaching staff have talked about him, this dude is not getting traded this season. He's not getting traded next season either, I think. If he does get traded, it's in his third year of this extension or fourth year.

SPEAKER_04 51:16

The week moves fast, but uh as of now, yeah, I I am inclined to agree with you and say the front office will probably hang on to him because they seem to stand by their word on this one.

SPEAKER_03 51:25

It just annoys me. Some of you guys just can't be pleased. I'm seeing people complain about drafting Trey Johnson.

SPEAKER_04 51:30

If you're if you're trying to please every sports fan, you're just gonna you're just gonna die with no energy. That's impossible.

SPEAKER_03 51:36

I'm not trying, I'm not trying to please them. I'm just trying to explain to them how idiotic of a take it was. Why didn't we trade up and get Ace Bailey? Oh my goodness. Why didn't we take Derek Queen, six overall?

SPEAKER_04 51:48

Oh, that would have been awesome.

SPEAKER_03 51:50

It would have been great, yeah. But I'm also trying to think, how does Derek Queen pair alongside Alex Arr? Great. Does he? I think he does. You think so? I think he does. Like, if if like you know, do what I think the front office maybe could have traded up and maybe should have traded up to get one more person at lottery. Sure. I I do think that. I was quietly reading if if you're complaining about drafting a dude, what not what are we 17 games into the season? Like, come on, just get a life, go for a walk, enjoy, meditate, something. Stop complaining so damn much. Just stop it, get some help for Jesus' sake. Please do something. Because complaining about a rookie when he hasn't even played a full season. If you want to complain about the draft pick three years down the line where it hasn't worked out and the other players playing better, go for it. I'm all for it. This dude has played what 14 games in his NBA career. Why are we complaining? Why? We don't know what he can do when he's starting. He looks so good when he started, and he should be a starter when he comes back healthy. But all you guys just want to complain, you know, yap your mouth off, say, fire Brian Keith. It's all his fault. Fire Will Dawkins. Get rid of Corey Kisper. Get rid of CJ McCollum. Why didn't we draft Derrick Queen? Why didn't we try to trade up into the top three? Just shut up.

SPEAKER_04 53:17

Oh my gosh. Uh I'm not the ranter Bryson is. So uh good win. I'm I'm like hot. I'm I'm I'm hot. I can tell you're hot. This is uh I'll be curious to see if this makes in the final cut.

SPEAKER_03 53:30

It'll make it in the final cut. It will. It definitely will. It'll be in this final cut because some of you guys need to hear this. Some of you need to hear this. Stop complaining. Even after the win, some of you guys are on the timeline complaining right now. Like, why? It makes no sense.

SPEAKER_04 53:49

The mind of a sports fan is a complex uh but simple thing.

SPEAKER_03 53:53

Makes absolutely no sense. I I don't get it.

SPEAKER_04 53:57

I I uh see the see the positive. You don't don't don't pander to the to the to the goblins. This this was this was uh a great day for the wizards, even if my uh metro card kept getting declined when I was trying to leave. This was still an extremely positive experience for everyone involved. And here's some more success in the future.

SPEAKER_03 54:16

More success. This team has a lot of potential, they're gonna be good, they're gonna do their thing. Alright. But Jesus Christ, you guys, and enjoy a good moment and stop saying, you know, like we need to do this, there's so many mistakes. Enjoy a win. Because this is the second one out of 17 games. Enjoy it. This team was on pace to only win seven games at one point. Why are we complaining after finally getting a win? I don't get it. Oh my goodness. That's it. What do you have?

SPEAKER_04 54:53

That's I've said everything I have to say. Like this this is just this is just uh fun to be a part of.

SPEAKER_03 54:59

Alright. That's all we got. That's an episode. We did it. Podcasts. Touch grass, watch the games. You know, delete Twitter for you know a day if you have to, if you need to complain about why you think this front office needs to go, why this coaching staff needs to go, why certain players need to go, why they should have drafted so-and-so over Trey Johnson. Just delete, delete social media, get off, help yourself, go to therapy, something. That's all we got. See you guys in the next episode.

SPEAKER_00 55:26

Spring just slid into your DMs. Grab that boho look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals that can keep up with you, and hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling. Ross, work your magic.