Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: WVUA FM, Tuscaloosa.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Hello, everybody.
This is WUA 90.7 FM, the capstone. And welcome to episode 62 of the full court press podcast. My name is Jamie Martinez, and I'm joined by Nick Atkinson and Kaden Johnson to stay up to date. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at FCP podcast underscore UA. With that being said, let's get into it with the news. The all star break is done. It's over. And now basketball is finally underway. Our first bit of news today revolves around the Golden State warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, who signed a two year, $35 million extension, making him the highest paid coach in NBA history. Big time for Steve Kerr, one of the all time great coaches. Carry it or not, that's a lot of money for a Warriors team that's getting older. Will those two years pay off? Who knows? Kaden, Nick, either of you, what are we thinking about this?
[00:01:05] Speaker C: You know, four championships, what he had two as a player or three? I don't know what he had. Well, he does know how to win. And regardless of how long this corps has together, he's still a young coach. Well, he's not like younger, younger coach. What is he, like, 55, 60?
He's still more than capable to be a coach over the next five or six years. So I think it's good for the team.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:30] Speaker D: Or longer. I'd like to see him somewhere else before his career comes to NN, but I think that was a great deal for the Warriors. I don't know if he should have got paid that much, but I think the warriors are in a better spot than some people believe right now. I think if they keep playing their young guys and developing them a little more, I really think that Kuminga pod and even Moses moody are, like, at least a good young basis to build the franchise around. Whenever Curry and Clay and Dre are gone.
[00:02:03] Speaker C: That's weird to think about, like, them three being like, the big three in, like five years. Think about that.
[00:02:10] Speaker B: This might not be in the league. Steph probably will. Curry.
[00:02:13] Speaker C: Curry got it.
[00:02:13] Speaker D: Could being great.
[00:02:18] Speaker B: But Draymond's coming to an end. We already know he's going to be a tv personality.
[00:02:22] Speaker C: Clay, he might retire next three.
[00:02:24] Speaker B: Yeah, because Clay.
[00:02:25] Speaker C: Clay's probably got not too good anymore.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Yeah. That achilles injury really got Clay.
[00:02:29] Speaker D: He stepped it up over the last week.
[00:02:31] Speaker C: Wasn't what he's been on the bench.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Yeah, once he got moved to the bench, he had 35 on his first night off the bench. So Steve Kerr locking up that big time $35 million deal. Let's see how that pans out for Golden State. Our next bit of news. I'm not even going to try and pronounce his first name, even though he's been in the league for years now. Alexe, is that how you pronounce his first name? We all call him Poku. Alexi. I don't know. Alexey Pokushewski of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been released. A guy who was pretty highly touted coming out of the draft. Everybody kind of thought he was going to be really good. He was what we kind of thought Victor Webanjama would be. We all thought Poku was going to be that guy. He finally gets cut. Kind of underwhelming tenure on the Thunder for Poku. Any thoughts on that?
[00:03:15] Speaker D: He had some cool no look passes back in the day, like a couple of years ago.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: Yeah, he hasn't done anything in probably.
[00:03:21] Speaker D: Like 160 games, but I actually just saw a report that the Hornets are like heavily pursuing him. So expect him to be picked up okay pretty soon.
[00:03:30] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: The Hornets have been all in on these young talents as of late, so, I mean, looking good. Next up, Patrick Williams with the Chicago Bulls is out for the rest of the season with a left foot injury. He has already been out since January, and now the Bulls small forward is done for the year. Patrick Williams has been dealing with injuries all throughout his career. It's really been plaguing him since he was drafted just a few years ago. Is it time to call him a bus now? Is it too early?
[00:03:57] Speaker D: I hate using the term strong words when it refers to someone that's like plagued with injuries, but yeah, you can say that it was a bad pick, I guess. I mean, talent wise, he's still, even when he is healthy, I don't really know if he's top four in terms of that. He really could be considered a bus.
[00:04:17] Speaker C: But he's not like bad. He's not like exactly.
[00:04:19] Speaker D: He's a starting caliber player.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Great defender.
[00:04:22] Speaker D: Yeah, there you go. But offensively, his game just didn't translate. He was kind of a gamble of a pick anyways, like in the first place when he was at Florida State. I know that he didn't really have much going on the offensive end. He was kind of the same way that he is in Chicago. They drafted him for a defensive purpose and with the intention of trying to develop him into an offensive player and it just didn't pan out.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. Rough news for the Chicago Bulls and Patrick Williams, a young player whose career has not panned out the way we all thought it would. So best of luck to Patrick Williams and that whole Bulls team because injuries have been hurting them for the last three or so years now. Shout out, Lonzo ball. Now let's talk about some bigger injury news with the next two, Nick or no. Sorry, Kaden. We'll start with Kaden with some news about Trey Young.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Yeah. All right.
[00:05:11] Speaker D: According to Shams, Atlanta Hawks say all star Trey Young will undergo surgery, which he has recently. I think he underwent it today anyways. It was to repair a ligament tear in his left hand.
Reports say that he'll be reevaluated in four weeks. So that's a huge loss for the Hawks, a team that's like battling to stay in the play in.
[00:05:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Without Trey on, I'm not sure how they're going to be the rest of the season.
[00:05:37] Speaker C: I mean, they're three games ahead of the Nets and the Raptors right now.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: They'll be. I think, yeah.
[00:05:42] Speaker D: Raptors are on a little bit of a winning streak. They've won three.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: They were.
[00:05:45] Speaker C: Pizza party tonight.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:47] Speaker D: Do they really.
[00:05:51] Speaker B: Scotty Barnes idea, what.
[00:05:56] Speaker D: Kind of pizza do you think the Toronto chapters get? No, I'm saying where do they get their. You think it'll be like locally, Chuck.
[00:06:03] Speaker C: E. Cheese, Domino's or something like that?
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Yeah, like Domino's.
[00:06:06] Speaker D: You think they'll get hungry, howie? Like little slivers of really thin slice in elementary.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
They're gonna have balloons and everything. Yes.
Pizza party for the Raptors. And Trey Young missing four weeks. That's not it, though. One more injury update from our Clippers expert here, Nick Atkinson. Or at least our Russell Westbrook expert. What's the news on Paul George?
[00:06:29] Speaker C: So the game that we went to versus Memphis this past weekend, Paul George suffered some sort of knee injury. It's not like a reported injury, just because he's been having an issue with this knee for the past two months. And it's why he's been playing horrible, like really bad, like, worse than any player on either three of our teams. But I think it's good for the team. I've been saying that he needs to sit out. So he's sitting out tomorrow versus the Lakers. He did not play against the Kings, and we have, like, a bunch of off days in between all that. So I think he'll be back and then he'll be a lot better. And Mason Plumley, he also got hurt in the game against Memphis. Norman Powell, he did not play. We have a lot of injuries right now. So not looking too great.
[00:07:08] Speaker D: I was going to ask, just as someone that watches the Clippers a lot, how do you think this will affect their seating? Like, I know they're sitting at the four.
[00:07:17] Speaker C: We're four games ahead or three and a half games ahead of everybody else. So, I mean, when you have the top ten player in the NBA, I think we'll be fine. Yeah, but I think it's good as far as a positive thing to build chemistry between Westbrook, Harden and Kawhi.
[00:07:31] Speaker D: Yeah, I think it could be a positive thing, too, especially like you were saying, it's not like he was playing.
He, he is Paul George. Like, he's going to bring positives to the table. But them being able to utilize Norm.
[00:07:43] Speaker C: Powell and PJ Tucker.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: Now, PJ Tucker, I was going to ask your opinion.
[00:07:46] Speaker D: Like, guys that have actually had kind of hot hand, like Norm and then Terrence Mann's been playing good great recently, so I think they'll be fine, too. Who's right behind them at the five?
[00:07:59] Speaker B: I was going to say it was really good.
[00:08:01] Speaker D: So I feel like worst case scenario, by the time Paul George comes back, maybe the Clippers are down to like the five seed.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: He's not going to be gone that long.
[00:08:10] Speaker D: I don't think they have a lot.
[00:08:13] Speaker B: Of talent to make up for it, too.
[00:08:14] Speaker D: Yeah, he'll be out for like this whole week.
[00:08:16] Speaker C: And we only have one game this week. Yeah, because we played yesterday. We don't play today. Then we do play tomorrow. Then we're off for two games. So, I mean, he has a bunch of off days. He's out yesterday.
[00:08:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:32] Speaker B: And it's not like Paul George is not the biggest loss to the Clippers. Obviously, he's a star player, but he goes quiet. Yeah, it'd be a lot worse. Paul George is in a slump anyway, so you're going to get the ball to your Terrence Manns and your PJ Tuckers. More Amir coffee. Those guys are going to see more opportunity.
[00:08:47] Speaker D: I didn't even think about him.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: Kawhi Leonard is going to see more.
[00:08:51] Speaker D: Who's starting in place?
[00:08:53] Speaker C: Coffee, Norm?
[00:08:54] Speaker D: Norm is.
[00:08:56] Speaker C: So it's been Westbrook, Amir Coffey, Tyce and Peter Tucker and Mason Plumley, even though Plumlee's hurt.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: But yeah.
[00:09:08] Speaker B: So I think the Clippers are still in the running for that one seed just because it's so close and that.
[00:09:11] Speaker D: I don't know, we can get it without Paul.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: We're going to have to win. So we have a total of 26 games left or 27 27. Yeah, 26 games left. I was thinking like if we go 15 and eleven, the Suns can't win like 15 more games. I was thinking we could finish 50 and 32, which I'd be really good.
[00:09:34] Speaker B: With that great record.
[00:09:35] Speaker C: And I was like, Phoenix doesn't really have a chance to be 50 and 32. They'd have to be perfect from this point on because they already have 24 losses, we only have 19.
[00:09:45] Speaker B: A whole lot of basketball left to be played. So we'll see how everything goes with the Clippers and everybody else in the association. Let's kind of dive into more of our main segments. Not the most main, but one of our first ones. Our favorite moments so far since the all star break. So all star break was a little over a week ago. Many games have been played since then. We're going to go around the table and name our favorite moment so far in these last little batch of games. So let's start with Nick. What's been your favorite moment so far?
[00:10:16] Speaker C: That's not like a particular moment, but just how good Yokich has been. He had 30, 216 and 16 the other night. And then he had something crazy the other night. Before that he had like 30, 515 and twelve. So I mean, I think he's just kind of separating the MVP race at this point.
He was already 60 points ahead of everybody else. So then now he's like 100.
[00:10:42] Speaker D: Well, I'll go next. First off, shout out, we did get to go to an NBA game. That was pretty awesome.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: That was sweet.
[00:10:49] Speaker D: With the ex host Alex Chasen.
[00:10:52] Speaker B: Rest in peace.
[00:10:52] Speaker D: Yeah, rest in peace. He came out of retirement to go to an NBA game with us. We went to Clippers and Grizzlies on Friday. It's a great game. Kawhi put on a show for. Yeah, he did a couple posters on Triple J and then step back Buzard in the third.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: So did Vince Williams.
[00:11:08] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, what a guy.
But as for a specific moment, I'll take the first day back from all star break. Paulo Banquero hit a game winning and one midi against the Pistons. Pistons have had some rough losses already since coming back from the all star break, and that was one of them. Paulo didn't have a great game in that game. He had like 15. He shot like five for 17. But as a magic fan, it's reassuring to know even when your stars have like a bad game, he can still close it out. So good things in the future for the magic with Paulo?
[00:11:40] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. My favorite moment since the all star break is the Sacramento Kings win over the Los Angeles Clippers just a couple of days ago on Sunday.
I mean, the Kings have been so inconsistent all season. And getting a great team win against one of the best teams in the NBA and the Clippers. Yeah, be it without Paul George, but still 123 to 107 victory. That's still a big gap. And everybody on the Kings finally played well together. Harrison Barnes had 22. Sabonis had a 17 points with twelve assists and 15 rebounds. He's number one in the league in triple doubles. Fox had 33. Herder got it going with 15. Great defense played the entire time. The King's best win all season couldn't have come at a bigger time. We did just lose to the heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Tyler hero. So that's just the king's way. That's how the cookie crumbles in Sacramento. So light the beam sometimes.
So now let's move on to our hot takes. Each of us have got some hot takes here for this NBA season. Let's get them real spicy, y'all.
[00:12:41] Speaker C: What we got me?
[00:12:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:43] Speaker C: Okay, so my first hot take. It shouldn't really be like a hot take, but I feel like just to some people, I think the Oklahoma City Thunder will be a first round exit.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: I like that.
[00:12:56] Speaker D: I like that too.
[00:12:57] Speaker C: I think that one of mine is.
[00:12:58] Speaker D: Pretty similar to that.
[00:12:59] Speaker C: It's their first year in the playoffs.
They have nobody else averaging 20 points per game besides the biggest free throw merchant in the NBA, Shay Alexander.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Whatever.
[00:13:08] Speaker C: I'm not saying his name, but anyways, I don't want to, but anyway, yeah, like I said, we've never seen a young team do that. Even when OKC had three top 40 players of all time, ten years ago, they got eliminated in the first round. So, I mean, if the warriors play them, if the Lakers play them, if the Suns play them, it won't be like a good series at all, really. They'd get swept by Phoenix, they'd losing six to Golden State, and they losing probably five to the Lakers.
I don't know.
[00:13:46] Speaker D: I'm a little higher on them than that. But I do agree that I think there'll be a first round exit. I think they beat some of those teams that you mentioned, though.
[00:13:55] Speaker C: They won't be the warriors or the Suns. They can beat the Lakers.
[00:13:58] Speaker D: I think they might beat the warriors. It depends on which Golden State shows.
[00:14:00] Speaker C: Up in the playoffs.
[00:14:04] Speaker D: Their perimeter defense is good enough to at least keep Steph to where he'll have one or two games of that series where he'll shoot like two for ten from three.
But the thing about the west is, though, it feels like any team could be any team in the series.
No offense, but the Clippers could get beat in the first round by Phoenix.
[00:14:24] Speaker A: Yeah, we play them.
[00:14:24] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:14:27] Speaker D: Honestly, I think every single team in the west could be a first round exit except for Denver.
[00:14:33] Speaker C: Yes, I agree.
And that's another thing. You do not want to let Denver get the first seed because if they have home court advantage every single series.
[00:14:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:41] Speaker C: They're going back to the finals.
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: They're the best home team in the Western Conference.
[00:14:44] Speaker C: They're 22 and one. They are or you all are 22 and one?
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Not them.
[00:14:48] Speaker B: The Nuggets are 22 and five.
[00:14:50] Speaker D: Yeah, we're not 22 and one, though.
[00:14:51] Speaker C: You all are 22 and one against below 500 teams.
[00:14:54] Speaker D: Yeah, but, yeah, the Nuggets are great, and they're starting to kind of get that rhythm back, like you were saying. Like, Yokich is like kind of stepping.
[00:15:02] Speaker C: Back in playing like the best center.
[00:15:05] Speaker D: I watched the game they had this weekend against the warriors, and it was kind of like the warriors were favored to win that game because it was in Golden State. And then primetime, Jamal Murray and Yokich showed up, kind of reminded everyone why they're kind of the team to beat in the west. Still, he had like 30, 515 and 15 or something crazy like that.
But I'll start off one of my first hot takes here is, again, not like a super hot take to get things started. But I do think that the Miami Heat. I hate saying this as a Celtics fan, but I do think that the Miami Heat will finish as a top four, maybe even top three seed in the east.
[00:15:44] Speaker B: Really?
[00:15:45] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:15:45] Speaker C: I just think they'll be really good in the playoffs.
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Six.
[00:15:49] Speaker D: Right now they're eight and two in their last two.
[00:15:52] Speaker C: I didn't know they were six.
[00:15:53] Speaker D: They're number six right now, and ahead of them is Philly and New York.
[00:16:00] Speaker C: Milwaukee, not four.
[00:16:01] Speaker D: Milwaukee's tie for two with Cleveland.
[00:16:03] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:16:03] Speaker B: The Sixers and the Knicks are both losing records in their last ten.
[00:16:06] Speaker D: That's what I'm saying right now without Randall. They've been struggling a little bit more, and then obviously, the Sixers, we called it, they're going to progress heavily without Embiid, and it'll continue. It'll be like a slow decline.
And I just think that the Heat are better teams, especially than the Knicks right now without Randall.
Which, by the way, if what I'm predicting happens, we'll probably see a four seed heat against a five seed New York in the playoffs, which is awesome.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: Great.
[00:16:35] Speaker D: That's a great series.
[00:16:37] Speaker B: I want the Heat to win the final.
[00:16:39] Speaker C: No, I want the Heat to be six seeds and Milwaukee to be the three seed. And then the Milwaukee get ran through in five.
[00:16:45] Speaker D: They would. Yeah, they would get beaten six, I think, or five even, like you were.
[00:16:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:53] Speaker D: I just think with the way that the Heat are playing right now, they could snag the three seed from either of Cleveland or Milwaukee if things go their way. Cleveland. But I think, I feel confident in saying that they'll finish as the four seed. So really, that's my first time.
[00:17:12] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. I mean, they've won their last four. They beat Sacramento last night without their top two guys.
Their bench guys just play so well.
[00:17:20] Speaker D: Without the stars, especially this time of the year.
[00:17:22] Speaker B: Yeah, caleb Martin was going crazy last night. Haywood Highsmith had like ten points in the first half.
[00:17:26] Speaker D: He doesn't miss. No, we were talking about people like, we've never seen miss shots. You were saying, like Derek White, haywood highsmith, I've never seen him miss a corner.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: It's like how Sean Livingston never missed the mid range.
Getting into my hot take. I think the Dallas Mavericks make it to the Western Conference finals and have a real shot at making it to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference. The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the hottest teams in basketball so far. Right now they sit at the eight seed, which just hearing that, you're like, oh, whatever, they're mid. It's a one game difference between the eight and the five. The Mavericks, Kings, Pelicans and Suns are all separated by one game, and the Mavericks, out of those teams, have the best record out of their last ten, they're seven and three. They did just lose a game, but ever since acquiring Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, they have looked unstoppable. Luka Doncic has been debatably the best player in basketball, averaging almost a 35 point triple double, which is unheard of. Kyrie Irving has been playing amazing basketball and the role players are finally stepping up. Tim Hardaway looks like a six man of the year candidate. It's all coming together in Dallas at the right time. So I think post all star break, the Mavericks are going to be one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA, and I think they have a real shot at making the Western Conference. Or, I mean, like we were saying, anybody can lose in the first round because the Timberwolves, inexperienced, thunder inexperienced, really, the only teams with a bunch of experience are going to be the Suns, Clippers and Nuggets.
Especially the Nuggets. But the Mavericks to me look great. And we all know what Luka Doncic is capable of in the playoffs. He has some of the greatest playoffs.
[00:19:03] Speaker D: In Kyrie now, too.
[00:19:04] Speaker B: Ever. Yeah, I mean, I think it's not that crazy to say that the Mavericks.
[00:19:08] Speaker C: Are going to be crazy at all now.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: Yeah. That they can make the NBA Finals and I would love to see them make the finals. I think that'd be a very fun. Yeah, obviously. But I think they'd be a very fun team to watch. So shout out the Dallas Mavericks. I think they can really make the NBA Finals. And now let's get into our award predictions. Our main, main thing of this episode.
[00:19:31] Speaker C: We're doing like a top three type of type.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: We can do a top three, top two type of thing.
[00:19:35] Speaker D: I have top two down, but we.
[00:19:37] Speaker B: Can do three if you can think of anybody. Yeah. All right. Just so we can keep it going, what award do we want to start with?
[00:19:44] Speaker C: What do MVP last?
[00:19:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:19:46] Speaker C: Rookie of the year.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: Rookie of the year. 6th man of the year.
[00:19:48] Speaker C: Let's do rookie.
[00:19:49] Speaker A: Okay. All right.
[00:19:50] Speaker C: So for me, I'll just go down 3213 Brandon Miller. I think he is in any other draft class, the best rookie of the class, but he just kind of got unlucky with, I think. I think if you put him in a supporting cast like OKC has, I mean, he might be considered better than Chet. Chet just, you know, he's kind of just a rim protector. But at the same time, Chet's defensive numbers against centers does not look good at all. He gets scored on majority of the time that he's guarding them, especially down low. He's a really good perimeter defender. He's really good at guarding point guards and wing players, but he's not like a great how women Yama can guard one through five, Chet can guard the four through one.
But that leads me to Chet being two and one, Minama being one.
[00:20:39] Speaker D: Yeah, that's fair.
I didn't think as far as top three, but yeah, I would definitely have Brandon Miller at the three spot. My runner up, I have Chet. He's averaging 17, three and eight with two and a half blocks. He actually just became the first, was it first rookie to ever hit 100 threes and have 100 blocks in a season? So that's pretty cool. Women Yama will probably do that by the end of the year and that's who I have in number one. He's averaging 23 and ten with a steal and a half and three blocks per game.
Not to mention he's doing all that in like 27, 28 minutes per game. I think he's absolutely amazing. He's one of the best rookies we've ever seen. I feel like it has to be him this year. I know that Chet does have that a little bit of a bandwagon of a fan base behind him, but I can't possibly see how you could think that Chet's like a better player than Yama. I will say. I mean, obviously a little bit of credit to Chet for putting up good numbers on a great team, but what women Yama is doing right now is a. He also has a legitimate case for defensive player that you does.
[00:21:53] Speaker C: He should be the defensive, but he won't.
[00:21:56] Speaker D: It's a hot take for. Yeah, I mean, I think he could. He could definitely win it.
[00:22:01] Speaker C: He's a rookie, though.
[00:22:02] Speaker A: That's what will stop him.
[00:22:03] Speaker D: Yeah, I agree. I think that's what I'll stop him doing.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: I think it's crazy that being a rookie can stop you from being an award winner like that.
[00:22:11] Speaker C: So averaging 38 as a rookie should be able to and be in the second seed. You can be the mvp of the league.
[00:22:17] Speaker D: Yes, but it would probably take something like that.
[00:22:22] Speaker B: I mean, I think that's exactly what.
[00:22:23] Speaker D: Victoria Luca is putting that on now. And they don't even have him in the last.
[00:22:28] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:22:28] Speaker C: He's like eight every week.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: That's so cool.
[00:22:32] Speaker D: He's like literally having one of the best offensive seasons just in the history of the sport.
[00:22:36] Speaker B: Yeah, my rookie of the year top three looks the exact same as Nick's. I have Brandon Miller at three. He's been phenomenal for the Hornets, especially in his second half of the season so far. Started a little slow, but I mean, in these last, what, 20 games, he's looked like the best player on the Hornets.
[00:22:55] Speaker D: Bridges.
[00:22:55] Speaker B: Yeah, him and Bridges. And I just want to see him with the guys like Lamello ball. I've seen people on TikTok saying that he's the guy they should build around, and I don't think it's that crazy to say because Brandon Miller looks like the next Paul George. He looks incredible.
[00:23:07] Speaker A: Two.
[00:23:08] Speaker B: Chet Holmgren, Mickey Mouse rookie because he was drafted last year, but the rule is a rule. Chet Holmgren, he has been phenomenal all season. Like Kaden said, he does have a bit of a bandwagon following, but that doesn't stop him from being incredible on one of the best teams in basketball and being a deploy candidate as well. Even though he's a rookie. But number one, far and away, is Victor Webinar. He's having possibly the greatest rookie season of all time, averaging about 21 points, ten plus boards, five plus assists, four plus blocks and two plus steals. I mean, that is just unheard of out of a rookie. And he's only playing like 28 minutes a game, so he's not even being used to his full potential. So Victor Ravanyama, to me, has all the makings to be the next great of the NBA, and the rookie of the year is how he's going to start out his career. So now what do you guys want to do? Six man?
[00:24:00] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:01] Speaker C: For six man.
Somebody's left off here for me and I will just say why. I found out that you have to be the leader off the bench in minutes to be the six man.
[00:24:12] Speaker B: Interesting.
[00:24:12] Speaker C: So really, that being said, russell Westbrook cannot be the six man of the year.
[00:24:16] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
Are you sure this is a travesty?
[00:24:20] Speaker D: Where'd you see that at? Because I. I still see lists that say that have both norm and like, on Vegas ODs. They still have both of them.
[00:24:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:29] Speaker C: Well, for whatever reason, though, it's like I was looking at one of the latter things. It was like, Russell Westbrook should be up at this high if he was on any other team. But Norman Powell is averaging 30 minutes a game, so it kind of rules Westbrook out from being the clear cut one guy, like any other year probably would if he was on any other team.
[00:24:48] Speaker D: Yeah, probably.
[00:24:50] Speaker C: But with that being said, I still have Westbrook at three. Number two, I have Tim Hardaway. And then one, I have Norman Powell and Westbrook. It's obvious. Twelve, six and 612. Five and five. Whatever it is, he's having a great season. I won't spend too much time on that. Tim Hardaway, he's just the best scorer off the bench in the league. Yeah, it's just him. He doesn't play much defense, though. That's one bad thing about him and Norman Powell.
He's averaging like 15, and every time that he comes onto the court, it's just you can count on him scoring. He's kind of like an old time, like six man. Like, what you think of a six man is going to come off the bench and just score, put up a bunch of. Yeah.
[00:25:33] Speaker A: All right.
[00:25:33] Speaker D: I have a little bit different of a list. I only have a runner up and an award winner, Mr. Jamie Martinez. My runner up is Malik Muck.
[00:25:41] Speaker B: Hurts my feelings.
[00:25:42] Speaker D: I think he is the second best.
[00:25:43] Speaker C: Oh, I forgot about Malik. I think he's number two on mine. He's inside of Tim Hardway.
[00:25:47] Speaker D: He's the second best playmaker off the bench in the NBA. Other than Russell Westbrook. He's averaging five assists and 15 points.
I think he's exactly what like Nick was saying, he can come off the bench and give you a bucket, but he can also facilitate if he cut down the turnovers a little bit, I think he would go up to one. I think he's averaging like two or three turnovers. And it feels like when you watch him, he turns the ball over or gets a bucket or he's either making a great play or he's just doing something that looks.
[00:26:15] Speaker B: Malik Monkey is either going to post or somebody hit a deep three or do the just dumbest turnover you've ever seen.
[00:26:19] Speaker D: Yeah, but he does provide great work for the Kings off the bench. He gets people open, makes plays. And at number one, I have Tim Hardaway Jr. I have Tim Hardaway Jr. As a 6th man of the year. Right now, he's averaging 17 off the bench, which is pretty crazy. I don't know the last time someone averaged that much off the bench a lot since probably like, it was probably like we will to do that last year. And then he can also. The thing about Tim Hardaway, too, is he can give you like 35.
I'll say Monk can too, but Hardaway can give you 30 plus on any given night.
And I think I can confidently say he's the only one that can do that in this running. Like, Norman Powell is a consistent, great score, but Norman Powell is never going to be like the leading score. Maybe once or twice a year, but Hardaway probably has a couple of times this year already.
[00:27:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:13] Speaker D: Where he's been the leading scorer for the maps off the bench. And he's the streakiest score for sure. Plays pretty solid defense on the perimeter, too. So I like Tim Hardaway right now.
[00:27:22] Speaker B: Yeah. My number three. I'm going to go Norman Powell. I did originally have Russell Westbrook, but I didn't know that rule. So I am going to go Norman Powell because he has been putting in some great minutes for the Clippers, whether to be as a shooter or a defender. He does make Nick mad sometimes, but it's okay because it all works out in the end. Two, I'm biased and I'm going to outright say it. I'm going to have Tim Hardaway Jr. At two. Tim Hardaway. Yes, averaging 17 points a game can give you 30 at any given night. But the reason I have Malik Monk at one is because of the exact same reason. He's averaging 15 and five. And just three games ago, he had 45 points off the bench. He's had 50 off the bench before in that game last year against the Clippers. So Malik punk to me. Yeah, their turnovers do need to go down a little bit, but when you're the main facilitator and the guy who can score the most points on any given night for the Kings coming off the bench, I just got to give it to him. Hardaway has been incredible. No doubt. I think he can be that 6th man of the year, but Malik was so close last year. I think it's got to be him this year, especially if the Kings have a pretty decent second half of the season. Same with Malik. So he's been efficient, he scores a lot, and he playmakes better than a lot of guys that come off the bench in the league. So I'm going to go Malik Monk. So now, most improved player.
Let's get it going.
[00:28:42] Speaker C: Wow, that's a tough.
I think I feel like Tyrese Maxey should have kind of been. I feel like that should have been him last year. Instead, know, free throw merchant Shay.
[00:28:54] Speaker B: I'm looking at the betting he's number one for a lot of sites, but.
[00:28:57] Speaker C: Yeah, I'll put maxi at, um.
And that's know, basically just because of the points going up now, he was an all star, so everything like that, but it was kind of between Maxi and Scotty Barnes. I know that Scotty Barnes kind of has just been on the same sort of, what's it called? But he wasn't all star, which he probably shouldn't have been. But regardless, he was able to turn into. Everybody was like, oh, he hit a sophomore, know he's not good all that, but I do think that all in all, it should be him just because of how he was able to kind of transform his game into being a third option and then now being the first option, and they've been a lot better since Pascal has left.
[00:29:41] Speaker D: All right, for my top three, I actually don't have Scotty in my top three.
At number three, I have Alfred Singhen. I think he's kind of like, solidified himself as someone that can be a number one on a team where there's a great supporting cast around him or a good supporting cast around him. And I mean, he's only, what, second or third year? So he's going to get better.
Yeah, he's young. He kind of is just similar to like a younger jokic that is maybe a little bit quicker and not as great defensively, but singing looks good this year. My runner up. I'm curious to see what y'all think about this.
Jalen Johnson. I have Jalen Johnson as a runner up, but just because of, strictly because of the jump. Obviously Sengan's a better player than Jalen Johnson, but Jalen Johnson is a second year player that went from last year being a two way who mostly played in the g.
It was a second round pick to all the way to this year. He's averaging 16, three and nine. Yeah, I don't know if you'll notice that, but he's also kind of been that guy that the Hawks have been looking for for years. The Hawks tried it with Sadiq Bay. They tried it with DeAndre Hunter even earlier than that. They've even tried it with bogey a little bit, but he's just not defensively what they need for that wing void that they've been missing. Jalen Johnson has kind of stepped up and been that and permitting or if it wasn't for injuries to Trey and Dejante throughout the year, then Hawks would probably be better than what their record indicates. Clint Capella has been hurt, too, for a lot of the year. But yeah, Jalen Johnson's been great offensively and defensively. He's kind of that two way wing like I was saying that they've been looking for. And then at number one, I have Tyrese Maxi. He's been playing like a true one. He's kind of kept the Sixers alive a little bit more than I thought they would without Embiid. He's averaging 26. He's one of the best scorers in the NBA.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I have a very similar list to Kaden at three. I also have Al Prince engoon. He's taken a jump in every statistical category from last year to this year. He started every game, all 56 he's played in. Last year he was averaging 14.8. This year he's up to 21. So that's nearly a seven point jump. His field goal percentage is much better. His efficiency looks much better. He's not the greatest three point shooter, but I mean, he doesn't really need to be. But he's been phenomenal all season. He's one of the best playmakers of the big man position in basketball, and he's a very solid defender. Doesn't really get a lot of blocks, but he's averaging over a steal a game .7 blocks on the season right now. For a pretty atrocious Houston Rockets team. But the future is bright for the Rockets and Al Prince Sangoon is one of the main reasons for that. Two is where I have Tyrese maxi. Maxi has been great all year. He was an all star for the first time of his career. He's also taken a huge jump in every statistical category when you're looking at it. Last year averaged 20 points a game. This year he's up to 26. He was almost an all star last year, but injuries kind of derailed that. He's been great this season. What's he shooting? He's shooting 37 from 344.8 from the. Yeah, 44.8 from the field. So not the best efficiency, but it's been very solid for how many shots he takes and how many more shots he's going to take this season with Joel and beat out. So those numbers are only going to go up for maxi. But number one, I don't remember if either of you all said him, but I have kobe White from the Chicago Bulls. Kobe White has taken one of the best jumps I've seen all season and I did not expect it. Last year, averaged 9.7 points per game. This year he's up to 19.5. That's a ten point jump for Kobe White, who's been in the league for about this is his fifth year and to see him take almost an all star level jump has been so cool to see. He's up to 5.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, shooting 40% from three, and at an extremely high volume. Kobe White has been great. One of the only bright spots for a very mediocre Chicago bull season. So I'm going to give it to Kobe White, who was a real all star candidate going up to it, and he's been great all season, almost at 20 points a game. So one of the best three point shooters in the league. I'm going to give it to Kobe. So now what are we thinking next?
I don't know if you all have coaches of the year.
[00:34:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I do. You do?
[00:34:02] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:34:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:03] Speaker B: We get a coach of the year, then let's run it.
[00:34:04] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:34:05] Speaker C: Coach of the year. I have.
I have chris finch at three. That's the Minnesota Timberwolves coach. They were the 8th seed last year. They're the one seed this year. So obviously he deserves to be there. Number two, I have Mike malone. He's kind of just know the new age. Steve Kerr, Greg Popovich. The Nuggets are amazing. He's going to be in that top three every year.
[00:34:28] Speaker B: And then one.
[00:34:29] Speaker C: I have Joe Missoula, best team in the mean. Obviously the coach has to be the coach of the year for the best.
[00:34:36] Speaker A: Team in the league.
[00:34:37] Speaker C: That's just how that works in my.
[00:34:39] Speaker D: I mean, I think that's a good take. I have Joe Maz at three.
Yeah, Missoula. I'm not super crazy about him. I think Eme Odoko is a better coach, but obviously they had that whole issue with him. But as for Missoula, he's a great players coach, which is what you need with a super team. And I think other teams are going to follow that recipe soon to come. But he can also lay down the law.
He's not going to sit back and let them do whatever they want. And I think that's a big part of the celtic success this season. And super teams aren't easy to coach by any means. And the gap that the Celtics will have if things stay the same between them and every other team's record in the league is going to be big enough that Missoula has to at least be a finalist for the award, I think so that's why I have him at three. At number two, I have Chris Finch. Nick talked about him for a little bit so I won't go into him too much.
He coached the Wolves to their best 50 game start in franchise history. I think they started 35 and 15. They're already at 40 wins now. They'll be pretty close to 50 by the end of the year.
So yeah, hats off to him. I think they'll hit 50 and probably get like 55 maybe. What are we thinking, 55?
[00:35:54] Speaker C: Because I think the Clippers will finish 50 and 32.
[00:35:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:35:57] Speaker D: So hats off to the Wolves. They'll either be the one or the two seed going into the playoffs for sure. And then at number one, I have JB Bickerstaff from the Cavs. Yeah, they've been without Garland for a lot of the without. They were without Mobley for like half the season and they are still the two seed in the east, only trailing Boston.
They're higher than the Bucks, which is absolutely insane. If you would have told anybody that, they would have just told you were tripping. But they had a 15 and one stretch before the all star break where they didn't have Mobley or garland. I think a lot of that can be credited to how good Donovan Mitchell has been this year. But for the most part, I got to give JB bigger staff some love. He's been fantastic and I think he should be the coach of the year.
[00:36:44] Speaker C: Before you say one thing, the Cavs are twelve and 17 against below 500 teams. That's the only reason why I didn't put him on there, because I looked at that, too. I was like, they're like, way better.
[00:36:57] Speaker B: Than they should be.
[00:36:58] Speaker C: Yeah, but when they play, like, good teams, they're twelve and 17.
[00:37:02] Speaker D: You mean above 500 teams?
[00:37:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:04] Speaker C: When they play above 500 teams, they're twelve and seven.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: That'd be kind of sad if they were that good and weren't beating below average teams.
[00:37:10] Speaker C: Well, yeah, but you get what I'm saying.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: They can't beat good teams.
[00:37:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:13] Speaker B: I don't have them on my top three either.
[00:37:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:14] Speaker C: Well, no, it's not like an invalid opinion.
[00:37:16] Speaker B: No, not at all.
[00:37:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: No, I definitely think it can be, especially with the second half run. JB Vickers have been amazing.
But I think my three. I mean, this coach of the year race this year has been a lot tighter than years past because Mike Brown won it last year unanimously. I don't think that's going to be the case this year at all because there's a lot of guys, probably four or five guys that really deserve it. Three. I'm going to go Joe Missoula of the Boston Celtics because, yes, he does have. Probably not. Probably he does have the best roster in basketball at his disposal. But when you're, what is he, a second year head coach now? Third year, second year head coach. I don't care what it mean. You're going to be in that race. Second year head coach with one of the best teams in basketball, some egos to control, a lot of money in there. And Missoula's done a great job all season. They're one of the best home teams or the best home team in the NBA, and they've looked unbeatable at times. So they're a real finals contender out there in Boston, thanks to Joe Missoula. Two, I have Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Again, a team that I think the coach of the year race really goes to. Teams that have been surprises. That's why I think Mike Brown won it last year. And my top two guys, not the biggest surprises, but kind of teams that are contending that weren't last year. So I have Chris Finch at two. And number one, as much as I hate to say it, I think it'll go to Mark Dagonalt of the Oklahoma City Thunder because, yes, we may not be the biggest thunder lovers around here, but you can't go out of your way and hate on him. He has been a great coach since he's been there. He has shake Gilgash, Alexander and a great team around him, and he's coached them all to perfection. A very young roster, that's. What are they? They're the two seed right now in the Western Conference, but them and the Timberwolves both have the same amount of wins. I think it's a half game separation between them right now. So I think he might end up at that one spot sooner rather than later. So I'm going to give it to Mark Dagenal because he's been great all year getting Chet Holmgren back into the roster through his injuries. And Shea Gilshock. Xander is an MVP candidate. Josh Giddy and all of whatever happened with him this season, he's done a great job with Oklahoma City. So that's who I have winning this year. So now.
Well, there also is clutch player of the year. I don't know if y'all have that. Yeah, I do.
I got three.
[00:39:36] Speaker C: All right, clutch player of the year, you go ahead.
[00:39:38] Speaker B: All right, three. I have Luka, Doncic, Luca. They call him Luca magic for a reason. He's hit so many clutch shots all season. Who could forget that Buzer beater he hit last year where he was spinning in circles from the three point line, throws up a hook shot and grains it from the three. Just absolute money.
He has been one of the most clutch players in the NBA for years now. Whether it be buzer beaters or just crunch time. Threes and getting the ball to the open, guys, Luca is that guy, but I have him at three two. Shay Gildish Alexander. He's been in the running for this award for.
[00:40:12] Speaker C: Yeah, going to the free throw line.
[00:40:16] Speaker B: Yeah, he's second in ods right now.
[00:40:18] Speaker C: Oh, my God. Yeah, dude, it's a joke.
[00:40:21] Speaker D: I will say, even being a free throw merch, I'll say that he's a little bit of merchant, but getting to the line in the clutch is still clutch.
[00:40:31] Speaker C: But it's like all game, though. It's not like just in the clutch. It's like, oh, I got twelve free throws already. Let me get back to the free throw line another five times.
[00:40:38] Speaker B: But even then, it's getting the ball to your guys late in the game or hitting those little mid range shots at the end of the game. Shakers. Alexander has been clutch this season. He's the reason that not the Timberwolves, the thunder. Up to 40 wins already. So SGA is too, but nobody's touched.
[00:40:55] Speaker C: I think the free throw line is the reason.
That's what I'd say. Definitely one of the reasons. That's what it is.
[00:41:01] Speaker B: Definitely one of the reasons.
[00:41:02] Speaker D: It's a big reason.
[00:41:03] Speaker C: The reason.
[00:41:04] Speaker B: But number one, it's not really close. Shakeles Alexander is in the run, but it's not close. It's Wardell. Stephen Curry. I'm glad you said that, number one, because Steph Curry has been insane in the clutch of the season. He's single handedly taking away those steph isn't clutch allegations and throwing them in the garbage. Because Steph Curry has been that man this season. He's the only reason the warriors have any wins. Because when it comes to clutch time, I want Steph Curry on my team.
[00:41:31] Speaker D: Oregodala.
[00:41:32] Speaker B: Yeah, Oregodala. I mean, who would you all want to hear that open shot with the death being pointed on earth?
[00:41:38] Speaker C: Clay Thompson. Yeah, I want now, but not like.
[00:41:42] Speaker D: 20 right now, Dre.
[00:41:44] Speaker B: I want Brandon Pazemski.
[00:41:46] Speaker D: Diquon cook.
[00:41:47] Speaker A: Yeah. Right.
[00:41:47] Speaker D: We haven't said his name this episode.
[00:41:49] Speaker C: I had to throw it out there for me. I'll have Austin Reeves at three.
[00:41:54] Speaker B: It's not crazy. He's in the running.
[00:41:58] Speaker C: The nine seed with 25 wins on 37 losses.
[00:42:02] Speaker A: Right?
[00:42:02] Speaker B: I think it's seven and three in the last ten.
[00:42:04] Speaker D: It's a joke.
[00:42:04] Speaker C: I like the Lakers. I do, too.
[00:42:06] Speaker B: I wish I could like Austin, but.
[00:42:08] Speaker C: Anyways, three, I'll say.
Well, I guess if Embiid was still playing, it'd be him.
But for three, that's valid. He's like outside of it, but for three, give me Halliburton.
They kind of avoid the clutch to an extent, but he is really good at, like you said, finding the people for the shot, and then he can also get the shot. So that's him at three, then two. I have Kawhi Leonard. I've seen time after time after time this season, him just us be down like six. Him come in at the six minute mark of the fourth quarter and score like eight straight.
[00:42:44] Speaker B: Literally happened in Memphis when we were there.
[00:42:46] Speaker C: Literally what Kawhi Leonard does for every team he's ever been on. And sometimes he can be inconsistent with that, depending on his confidence. But I think we all know number one is mean. He might be one of the most clutch players of all.
[00:42:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. All right.
[00:43:00] Speaker D: Number three is where I have SGA. I think know part of being clutch is getting to the free throw line late in moments, slows down the clock, obviously, and it's free points, especially when you're as automatic from there as he is, which when you get calls like he does.
[00:43:19] Speaker C: What did I say? When you get calls like him, it's kind of hard to guard him. It's impossible to guard him.
[00:43:23] Speaker D: But I mean, I do really think you can be a free throw merchant, but also be clutch in that same because any way you look at it, it's still points.
So I have SgA three. I have Jalen Brunson at two. Actually, I think he is one of the best playmakers in the clutch, as well as when he gets downhill. He's scoring most of the time, which is crazy for someone as short as he is. But he's either scoring or he's kicking it to an open man. And then, not to mention defensively, he's got to be one of the most clutch defenders. I mean, Jalen Brunson's a tough defender, which again, crazy for his size, but number one is Steph Curry. No matter who you're a fan of, unless it's the warriors, obviously you've seen Steph hit a clutch shot against your team, and you maybe have seen him hit a clutch shot against your team this year like I have.
[00:44:09] Speaker B: Yeah, me, too.
[00:44:10] Speaker D: Steph actually has minus ods to win the award right now.
[00:44:13] Speaker B: Minus two.
[00:44:16] Speaker D: Mean he's the obvious pick, and there's no doubt in my mind he will be by the end of the year. Still, too.
[00:44:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:44:22] Speaker B: Shout out Darren Fox, who won it last year, and he's better than everybody we've ever mentioned. So moving on to the top two awards, our last two, defensive player of the year. Let's get it going. I think this one can really go either way. What are we thinking for defensive player of the year?
[00:44:39] Speaker C: Okay, so I will say this. Any other year, if he was not a rookie, it's women. Yama like dog. He's averaging three and like he's going.
[00:44:47] Speaker B: To win it for like the next 45 years.
[00:44:48] Speaker D: Yeah, he's literally about to five, Peter. Like it's going to be crazy.
[00:44:52] Speaker C: He'll be like Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard for sure, but better. I'll say at three. Give me Kawhi Leonard.
[00:45:00] Speaker B: So is Webby not in your top three?
[00:45:01] Speaker C: He is.
[00:45:01] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:45:02] Speaker C: Kawhi Leonard is three for me. Like I just said about him, he can guard everything. And then another thing, I was looking, and on our team, he's second in defensive net rating, meaning when you're on the court, this is how much better the team is whenever you're off of it. Who do you think has won for the Clippers?
[00:45:25] Speaker B: James Harden?
[00:45:26] Speaker A: No.
[00:45:26] Speaker C: Russell Westbrook. He is the best defender on the team, but he hasn't. You have to have more something or the other, but it is what it is. Kawhi Leonard, though, he is still the best perimeter defender in the league. I think he's been that. He's probably the best perimeter defender of all.
Know, they always say you can't stop Kevin Durant, you can't stop LeBron. Well, he didn't get a chance to stop KD necessarily, but he did stop Giannis. He did stop LeBron. So I'm pretty confident he could stop Katie. Well, he did play one game against KD against Phoenix last year's playoffs. KD did not play great, but nevertheless. Kawhi Leonard, like I said, then number two is Wemby. He's been playing great, as we've already talked about him. And then one, I have. I mean, I don't really know who else could win it besides maybe Jared Allen. Poor zengus. He's been good on defense, but yeah.
[00:46:23] Speaker D: Number three, I have bam. I think bam is one of the most versatile bigs when it comes to defending. I think he's improved a lot this year. I'm not even a big bam guy normally. Up until this year, I think he's actually taken a step and been kind of a solid number one option for them in times that Jimmy's been out or hurt. So I like bam at three just because that versatility he brings as a big man defender, runner up, I have women. Yama. I do agree. I think he probably, if he played about five, six more minutes a game, he'd be number one. And he has better stats than Gobert. It's just a matter of his defensive plays aren't equivalent to wins as much as Rudy. Go bears are. And that's who I have at number one. He's averaging a couple of blocks and half a steal a game, not to mention twelve, almost 13 rebounds. So, yeah, I got to give it to Gobert. Voters love him anyway, so I'm sure they'll have no problem voting for Rudy Gobert.
[00:47:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Three. I'm going to run it with Jared Allen, the one time all stars averaging a block and a steal per game this year. He's been incredible at times when the Cavaliers are missing Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Jared Allen's been picking up the slack on defense, so he's been great. He's been one of the main reasons that the Cavs have been so good in this late last 20 game stretch. So I'll go Jared Allen at three. But it's time to break the mold, people.
I'm going to say, screw it. Another hot take. I'm going to have Rudy Gobert at two and Victor Webinar at one. I applaud you because it's what it should be. Rudy Gobert is averaging 2.1 blocks per game, and I believe under a steal. So again, he's a, what, two time winner of it now? Or maybe three? Yeah, three. Rudy Gobert has been incredible throughout his entire career, and he's on the number one team in the Western Conference. Don't get me wrong, Rudy Gobert is amazing at what he does, and that's purely defense. But when you look at Victor Webanyama and what he's doing in 28 minutes of play as a rookie, averaging 3.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, both more than Rudy Gobert. He's had more blocks than the last ten defensive player of the years already and more steals than the last five as a rookie in 28 minutes. I understand that he's on the worst team in the Western Conference, but that's not his fault. Go look at Devin Vassell. Go look at Jeremy Sohan. Victor Ramonyama is averaging 21 a game. Still, I'm going to give Wemby the benefit of the doubt and put him as my number one for defensive player of the year because he is by far the best defensive player I've seen as a rookie already. So he's been incredible. I'm going to give it to him. Sorry, Rudy Gobert, but you started Covid.
Number one, let's go to our last award, MVP. Another one that can get pretty spicy depending on who we have in this top three final award. Let's get it going.
[00:49:11] Speaker C: Okay, for me, I've been very vocal about my opinion on this. Number three, I have Luca Doncic. They're not winning or they're winning, but they're the 8th seed. You're not going to be the lowest seed MVP ever. Is Russell Westbrook at the 6th seed. But Luca has the talent. I mean, Kyrie Irving, all that. I mean, regardless, with Kyrie before the trades, in theory, they should be like a top three team in the know. Luca's a top three player, so that's just my opinion on that. And then number two, I have Jason Tatum. Best player on the best team, top three player in the NBA, in my opinion.
He's averaging 27, I think, like eight rebounds, something like that.
And he's not like a free throw merchant. Like I said, he's playing four other all stars averaging 27 points per game, best team in the NBA and by a lot. And then number one, obviously, like, I mean, he's so close to averaging Awww. He's the most offensively gifted center we've ever.
[00:50:12] Speaker D: So I like that.
Full disclosure, I think that the mvp of the league right now is Luka Donkich just because I think that's how crazy of a season he's having statistically. But with that being said, this is award predictions, so I'm going to predict what I think is going to happen. And I don't have Luca in my top three for that reason. Just because with the Kia MVP ladders that have been coming out this like, they are just shading Luca like crazy. So I don't think Luca. I don't have Luca in my top three just because I don't think that that narrative is just randomly going to spin out of nowhere before the end of the year. And with that being said, at number three, I have Shay. He's averaging 31 game this year. He's the leader in total points, he's the leader in total steals, and I think he's the leader in steals per game as well.
OKC leads the league in deflections. The kind of like gamble defense that they've been running, especially out on the perimeter, has been working. It's kind of inflating his stats a little bit, but scoring wise, he's just been a beast.
He does shoot 1112 free throws a game, but it is a skill to get to the free throw line. I don't know how sustainable it is that he'll get the trey young harden treatment where they just stop calling it eventually.
[00:51:30] Speaker B: I hope that happened to James Harden.
[00:51:31] Speaker D: Really hard, but I do think for this year and for at least for the time being, no one has that figured out yet. So he can kind of abuse that and get those points. And then on top of know, OKC is great this year and he's doing it know, not necessarily the best team around him. They do have a great squad that's going to get better, but doing what they're doing with that young of a team is pretty impressive no matter how you put it. So I have Shay at three runner up. I have Jason Tatum, best player on the best team in the NBA, averaging 27, five and eight. He's a great playmaker, he's a fantastic defender, one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA as well, a great rebounder. I mean, he really just does it all. He's clutch and I think he's going to continue to prove that and make a name for himself even more in the playoffs. He's been playing with a chip on his shoulder all year. People, especially other players in the NBA, even kind of throw him off as being someone that can be a future face of the league. I think if he continues to perform the way he has and maybe even gets a ring this year, that'll change that narrative a lot. But as for the MVP, I think we're looking at Yokich's third mvp. He's averaging a near triple double at 29, nine and twelve. He performs at his highest in the biggest games. Him and Jamal Murray are a perfect duo for each other and the Nuggets are only getting better and they're slowly creeping back into, at least in my opinion, to being the favorite out of the west.
[00:52:52] Speaker B: Real talk, number three. As much as I hate to say to shakel just Alexander, because I think Kaden really hit the nail on the head. Getting to the free throw line is a skill and the Thunder are a 40 win team right now, second in the Western Conference and could be first.
Shay is a great playmaker, great defender, great rebounder, and one of the best scorers in the league. So yeah, Shay goes. Alexander is great and he doesn't really miss a whole lot of post shots, so he's very hard to stop once he gets to the lane. Two, I hate to say it, but it's Luka Doncic because I think he is the MVP of the league and I think there's a real case. I really want to do like a one a one b type thing with Yokich and Luca. Screw it. That's what I'm going to do. I made up my mind. Luca and Yokich, one a one b because I made the case earlier that the Dallas Mavericks can make a Western Conference title run or an NBA Finals run and they're one of the hottest teams in basketball. With all these new trade acquisitions, Luca finally has himself a great bench and I think that will bolster Luca's mvp odds once the Mavericks start winning themselves some games. Because yes, they're the eight seed right now, but they're one game out of the five and then, I mean, they're seven and three in their last ten. Who's to say that they can't get up to that four and three range if they keep this pace going?
So I think there's a real shot Luke can get up there because he has the best stat sheet in basketball by I think it's a decent amount. But that's nothing to take away from Nicole Yokich, who's been one of the best players in basketball for the last five, six years now. What did you say? He's averaging like, what, 29, nine and twelve right now. That's just absurd.
And the Nuggets look to be the favorites once again out of the Western Conference. So nothing to take away from Nicole Yokich because him and Luca are just disgusting at what they do, and they're.
[00:54:44] Speaker D: Going to be teammates at some point.
[00:54:45] Speaker B: Yeah, because Jokic said, jokic just looks like a jealous girlfriend whenever he's with Luca. I don't know what it is. They just look like BFF.
[00:54:53] Speaker D: They just have that spark.
[00:54:54] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a spark. They hug and stuff. That's what foreigners do.
That's all we have for you guys this week. Another amazing episode of the full court press podcast. Thank you all for tuning in to WVUA 90.7 FM and the full court press podcast to stay up to date. Follow us on Instagram at FCP podcast underscore UA. See you all next week.
[00:55:16] Speaker A: Peace.
[00:55:25] Speaker C: W-V-U-A-F-M. Tuscaloosa.
