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Above The Board podcast is a unique blend of NBA opinion, stats, and culture. Host of Above The Board Kebron Hailu covers the NBA from all angles — from stats and game breakdowns to player stories and league culture. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, Draft, or free agency, we’re talking hoops the way fans actually watch and think about the game. Expect honest takes, smart analysis, and a real love for basketball.
0:00:00
(Speaker 3)
What's up y'all?
0:00:05
(Speaker 1)
Welcome back to another episode of A Bud Aboard. I'm your host, Kebron.
0:00:08
(Speaker 12)
What's this thing on, man?
0:00:09
(Speaker 7)
Welcome back to the pod. I'm back with my boy Jason, man.
0:00:11
(Speaker 5)
What's good with y'all, man? We got a game seven, folks.
0:00:13
(Speaker 1)
Pacers beat the Thunders 108-91 in game six of the NBA finals. We got a game seven. This is not what people expected.
0:00:27
(Speaker 2)
Crazy, man. The Thunder just came out flat. SGA, eight turnovers.
0:00:32
(Speaker 1)
Not a winning formula to close out a finals game. Damn.
0:00:35
(Speaker 2)
Final series, actually, not even a game. But, yeah, it's bad, man.
0:00:37
(Speaker 1)
Eight turnovers. Eight turnovers. Unlike SGA, but this is this what we've been trying to tell people that he's just not that good of a passer He's he's a shooting guard generally like speaking. He's not a point guard and and this team lacks Somebody that could bring the ball up can't believe people be arguing that he's not a shooting guard like it's so obvious He's a shooting guard man like yeah, this is another game where he has six plus turnovers I think it was game four or no game
0:01:05
(Speaker 1)
It was a game three. He has six turnovers Yeah, it was game three yeah, he has six turnovers and eight turnovers is crazy I ain't go like that's that's and shit oh my god, I Can't even say nothing about his performance is it's all bad Nobody showed up for the Thunders in that game. Jalen Williams minus 40.
0:01:26
(Speaker 1)
I mean, I'm not too big into that plus or minus thing, but minus 40, you gotta stand for something. I believe he had 16 points to start off the game, and I don't think he scored in the second half at all. I mean, they were down 30, bro. 30 points.
0:01:41
(Speaker 2)
And then it was like five minutes,
0:01:42
(Speaker 1)
both teams didn the scores off the second half. I was like
0:01:50
(Speaker 11)
Majority of people coming into this series expected this series to be kind of just
0:01:52
(Speaker 7)
Yeah, lopsided on the Thunder side
0:01:58
(Speaker 1)
But this is as even as it could get this is the first game seven that we got since 2016 I don't know where we go from here. I mean TJ McConnell had 12 9 and 6. It's like the whole Pacers team. Their bench, man. They just show up. TJ and Obi. Literally, this is, I don't know, man. This team is crazy. Obi Toppin had 20 points off the bench. Obi just continues to be the best player off the bench
0:02:14
(Speaker 1)
for the whole series.
0:02:15
(Speaker 2)
Crazy.
0:02:15
(Speaker 1)
Ben Shepard, he be playing defense, man. He was asking for her to get benched. He got more minutes than Benedict in the last game. I think Matthew had two points on like one of six. We all know what that is. That's a coaching issue. He literally coached this player out of this series. Carlisle.
0:02:34
(Speaker 2)
He had his moment though.
0:02:35
(Speaker 1)
He had his moment. He has his moments, he just doesn't trust Benedict at all. And I mean, 14 minutes for him, do you think he plays over 20 minutes next game? Nah, I think Carl's gonna be more short in his rotations, cause it's the last game. I think the reason why Carl out-benches Ben Dick a lot, he has a lot of defensive lapses, and then he just often falls asleep, and then he just keeps a short leash on him. Or he'll have a bad foul, and then he'll just take him out the game. Yeah
0:03:09
(Speaker 1)
It'd be interesting to me because now Tony Bradley's game minutes in the finals. That's nasty Sony is it Sony Bradley playing in the game seven the finals? That's so nasty, but he might have to man because my son hasn't been showing up either I feel like see I was kind of five a little bit. Yeah, he showed up like he showed up especially last game He's crashing the boards, playing defense, scoring the basketball. The thing with the Miles Cerna thing is like, him and Chet are just like,
0:03:29
(Speaker 1)
kinda just taking each other out of the series. They literally just, there's been moments where they just locking each other up, especially Miles on Chet. He's just a little boy in him out there. Like he's just down on everything.
0:03:46
(Speaker 1)
You gotta go eat more oxtails man. Nah bro, nah bro, this is crazy to me. I don't know if it's a weight thing but there's no reason a player should be falling that much.
0:03:58
(Speaker 2)
It's bad, it's bad.
0:03:59
(Speaker 1)
It's like his coordination is like, it's not there and then they're kind of blaming the injury. I know bro. I'm not doing that like you seen what Halle Just yeah
0:04:08
(Speaker 3)
I
0:04:10
(Speaker 1)
Don't believe says injured in this series, but that's what makes this way nastier Because bro this team won 68 games and they finna go to a game 7 with the Pacers was nobody believed to even be here The team just got hot Pacers got hot late in the season and then won the series by a good margin. First round, second round.
0:04:28
(Speaker 2)
All their confidence is through the roof.
0:04:29
(Speaker 1)
I don't know if this is about a team getting hot. Like a lot of people treating this Pacers team like a college team. But the thing is bro, they were the second best team in the East last year and they probably still believe that they could have won the finals last year. And, you know, we all know how that series turned out against the Celtics where they got swept. But every game was close. Every game was close in that series.
0:04:50
(Speaker 1)
And every Celtics player left that series saying like, bro, these players are all like Michael Jordan.
0:04:55
(Speaker 2)
They just play hard, man.
0:04:56
(Speaker 1)
Bro, Nembhard gave them straight work last year. Straight work. Literally, all straight buckets. They couldn't guard at Nembhar last year. Like this is a team where the Celtics, they literally clamped the whole, bro, they clamped Luka. They literally clamped Luka in the Mavs last year.
0:05:12
(Speaker 1)
They're the only team that they had to go there and outscored the Pacers because they couldn't lock the Pacers up. To be honest, this is the first time the Pacers look kind kinda normal offensively because that's how good OKC is defensively. But yeah, offensively OKC just is not, they're not as good as the Celtics last year.
0:05:29
(Speaker 1)
But, but Thunder just need to go get a playmaker.
0:05:32
(Speaker 2)
Like, not even necessarily a playmaker but like, somebody that can just create man.
0:05:37
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, my problem with that roster, I have so many different problems with that roster and I'm not looking ahead to what would happen if they lose this series, because, bro, I don't want to overreact. I'm so sure that Sam Preston would. You just won 68 games and you won 57 games a year before.
0:05:54
(Speaker 1)
There should be no reason you don't have a chip. You've been the best team in the regular season two years in a row. And losing to that game and I'm not saying it's worse it's not worse than the 73 and nine warriors but that's because that's not that that's context there's context behind all of this this team is healthy they're just straight up in six games have the thunders look better than the pacers but honestly I feel like the pacers look way better
0:06:19
(Speaker 1)
that's what I'm saying like for game seven I can't even say the Thunder gonna win it wasn't even like at home like and the thing with This series is is that the Pacers have looked way better on the road than the Thunders have I mean game one One on the road that one stings if that's you they lose game seven Oh my god game one this this series has a lot of similarities with the one in Denver We lose a game one and a close one blow him out the second game, lose game three, win game four, win at home in five, and then get blown out in six.
0:06:49
(Speaker 1)
Speaking of game five, man, why can't they hold a lead? Like, it's always the Pacers making the comeback. Game five felt like.
0:06:56
(Speaker 2)
I mean, like, obviously they won by double digits, but like, the game got close. It was a one point game,
0:07:00
(Speaker 1)
like, with like nine minutes left in the fourth. And to be honest, if Carlisle never put Hadley back in that game. Yeah, I was about to say, if TJ played that game, like if he just kept him in, cause he the one that sparked the comeback, him and Siakam, if he just stayed in, I don't know what could've happened.
0:07:14
(Speaker 1)
I don't know either, cause bro, J-Dub and Shay, they barely made it out alive in that game. This roster has so many holes in it, nobody can shoot. There's nobody that can shoot on this roster. There's only one guy that can shoot on this roster and he can't even stay on the court because he can't guard, TJ McConnell.
0:07:36
(Speaker 1)
Isaiah Joe, look at yourself in the mirror, bro. You're out of the roster next year, by the way. I can't believe, bro, he's gone, bro. There's no way that just happened. All year, you make it every three possible, but you can't even stay on the court. Because you can't guard TJ McConnell.
0:07:53
(Speaker 1)
Nobody even telling you, you gotta lock him up. It's like, if Isaiah Joe's in the game for two minutes, that means TJ McConnell just scored for two minutes straight. Like, that's literally what I mean. Or he out there throwing dimes, putting them on pick and rolls or iso. But TJ going at everybody, so I'm not really trying to be, yeah, I'm not trying to be too hard on Isaiah Joe,
0:08:10
(Speaker 1)
but your best shooter not being able to stay on the court is the reason why people don't like shooters in a playoff format. Shooters are way more, you feel me, a 82 game player. Shout out Duncan Robinson, but they might need to go get him cuz he's about to get cut somewhere to save money You think he's getting cut he's getting roster casually and he's about to get traded
0:08:30
(Speaker 1)
I think he's gonna get traded for a player that we can use next year this this roster none of them Chet is not even he's shooting 11% from three in the final 11 bro nobody he why does he keep picking popping? That's, that's not.
0:08:46
(Speaker 2)
You can't attack the rim, Miles Turner in there, man.
0:08:48
(Speaker 1)
One thing, like, bro, they've thrown him two lobs this whole playoffs. He missed one, he got, he made one, and then he missed one last game. Two lobs in a whole playoffs for a seven footer. Is that more of like a, not having nobody
0:09:01
(Speaker 1)
that can really spoof in buckets or like Yeah, they have nobody that could throw lobs. I mean if your point guard can't pass If you can't throw lobs, then it's like a lot of times this seven footers out there doing nothing It's kind of an overreaction, but I can't believe they made it this far Like it kind of like says a lot about the West, you know I'm not a big what-if type of guy like but I just wish we got to see what the Warriors would have looked like against this team like I'm not even joking
0:09:28
(Speaker 1)
Cuz curry would have had a serious against Minnesota It was obvious from that first quarter curry would have had a serious against Minnesota curry has a serious against anybody It doesn't matter who it is and I like we've seen what curry did to this to this very same roster this year there's a holy team with a positive record against the Thunders this year. And the fact that we didn't even get to see that matchup, we'll never know. But to me, it's the fact that the Warriors were so good defensively. They might have been the second best defensive team after OKC this year.
0:09:53
(Speaker 1)
And yeah, and like I've been trying to say is this OKC team offensively, if Shae don't drop 30 or 35 points, they lose. Yeah, if he doesn't count for like 50, 60, because he has to get assists, I say 50,
0:10:07
(Speaker 2)
it's like they don't have a chance.
0:10:09
(Speaker 1)
They don't, they don't. J-Dub had to drop 40 for them to even finish, close that game out. He's supposed to show up and perform NBA finals, but if you're getting like 75 points from both of your start players and that's how you gotta close the game out, you're not gonna win a game. Coming into that game 7 though, cause even the bookies had the spread at 9.5 to the game
0:10:32
(Speaker 1)
7 right after game 6 finished. It dropped all the way to 6.5 right now. It might close 5.5. I think a lot of people are gonna take the case. They understand this series is a lot closer than anybody expected. And, and it's bro, I don't even know why anybody thought this would be anything below six games
0:10:50
(Speaker 1)
because these are two teams in their first ever finals. They're both very young. And what makes you even think that the, the paces will get blown out bro? Like the pace has been two more wars though, like real serious. Like obviously the Thunder had the Nuggets series and then they had the Mavs series last year but Pacers, they just won against the Knicks twice. Knicks not a hard, I mean they're not an easy team to obviously beat and then they played
0:11:15
(Speaker 2)
the Celtics last year.
0:11:16
(Speaker 1)
Every game was close. Yeah, and then they beat a 64 win team already. Being two 61 teams is special. If they could do that. It's a run bro. It's a run. It's definitely a run. And to me it's so special because when you have eight players averaging ten points, that's unheard of. Like that's literally an AU team.
0:11:36
(Speaker 2)
It's a run bro.
0:11:37
(Speaker 1)
It's literally unheard of. So if the Pacers win, who's going to win the finals MVP? Siakam, huh? Easily. I think it's easily but
0:11:53
(Speaker 2)
It's gonna get nasty. They gonna say something about you know put him uncomfortable. I don't even try to get
0:11:59
(Speaker 10)
I don't buy into that stuff because after game five I saw that Jada was top 15 player in the league and top 10 in the league
0:12:00
(Speaker 1)
Bro straight goofy's like what I seen how the ring ringer put Halliburton at 5 before the finals. They do this, they stop doing this game to game stuff. That's not how it works. And even if Siakam wins the championship and the finals MVP, don't put him over Legends, that's all I'm saying. Yeah, because we see how this team plays, we know everybody has a piece on the pie,
0:12:24
(Speaker 1)
everybody's contributing, so it's not just Seago. And the craziest thing about all of this, if one of those role players have another crazy game, the best player in a game 7, it might mess around and go to them. If TJ shows out again and he's obviously making the craziest impact to win the game, he might win. NemHard might win. Nembhard might win. Bro, if Nembhard goes out there and drop 20 points,
0:12:46
(Speaker 1)
why you gonna say he not winning?
0:12:48
(Speaker 2)
It's like an Iggy MVP, bro.
0:12:50
(Speaker 1)
To be honest, I don't think none of them are averaging 20 for the series. No player in this series is averaging 20 for the Pacers, and that's nasty work, bro.
0:12:59
(Speaker 4)
Shout out Nembhard, man, but that's bad for basketball. That's bad for basketball. A Nam Hard finals MVP, he ties Curry. That's bad.
0:13:06
(Speaker 1)
The thing with this series, it has a lot of like, that could kinda trick you. And heading into game seven, there's so many stats that will say the Pacers are gonna win, and then there's stats that says
0:13:18
(Speaker 1)
the Thunders are gonna win. I mean, the Thunders after a loss this year, they're 18 and two, which is the best all time in NBA history, right?
0:13:26
(Speaker 2)
I heard after a bad game, I don't know what the stat exactly is, but after a bad game, SGA usually bounces back.
0:13:32
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, hell yeah. I just feel like he gonna have a 40 ball or something. Bro, if SGA don't go out there and shoot 30 jump shots.
0:13:40
(Speaker 2)
It's a disappointment.
0:13:41
(Speaker 1)
It's a disappointment, and I might have to, yeah. I might have to check that. Yeah, I might have to check that MVP too, bro.
0:13:47
(Speaker 8)
Like.
0:13:48
(Speaker 1)
That's a disappointment.
0:13:49
(Speaker 2)
You got us for 30 times.
0:13:50
(Speaker 1)
To me, he needs to, bro, they need to stop this thing where he kind of defers to Jada to start the game off. No. Shay need to be on attack mode she's missing shots. We're okay with that cuz you gotta live with that You gotta live with that. But if we out here seeing doors shoot eight threes, then what do we what do we even here for?
0:14:11
(Speaker 1)
Just get a just get a ring. I'm playing Caruso over door Yeah I think bro. I think they need to just start Caruso like To be honest, I don't blame door like door they're leaving them open so he gonna take these shots and at least at least door is taking shots it feels like hard sign you give him the ball and he doesn't even know what to do with it except hand it off
0:14:37
(Speaker 1)
like heart has been straight-up just horrible in his finals I don't I don't think I don't think he's a player over 20 minutes in that. He's doing nothing out there. Can you give Chet all those minutes though? Can you give Chet? I mean you can obviously but.
0:14:51
(Speaker 1)
At least Chet is defending. Yeah but man what is he gonna bring offensively? It's way more like Hart is out there doing nothing offensively and then he's getting picked on every play on defense. That's true. and picked on every play on defense. This double big lineup that everybody was so infatuated with is doing nothing.
0:15:07
(Speaker 1)
Literally nothing, they went back to it and it's done nothing. In game, what was it, game four, they went back to the double bigs, the double bigs got crushed. They won that game because Shay literally went
0:15:16
(Speaker 1)
Michael Jordan mode in the fourth quarter. After Hart got benched. Game five, they didn't piece them up because of the double bigs, they pieced them up because J-Dub went crazy. Speaking of game four, man, you see what I mean? That's how Thunder wins games, that's how they win games.
0:15:29
(Speaker 1)
Somebody always has to put on a masterclass. Fourth quarter, 40 points from J-Dub, it's just not realistic for that to keep happening. But I'm saying it right now, I think SJ's gonna have a good game but that's how you know this team has major holes. Major holes and when you tell people that this is not a 68 win roster, they try to be like what you mean?
0:15:49
(Speaker 1)
Like you know how good Jadob and Chet is? That bro when we tell you this is not a 68 win team, we're not trying to discredit these two players or trying to up Shae. What he's done this year is unheard of. Like, this should not be a 68-win team. And it's clear, like, this roster, bro, they don't have no point guard.
0:16:08
(Speaker 1)
They can't shoot. Unless he drops 30, they can't win games. Like, try to compare this, is this an all-time team?
0:16:14
(Speaker 3)
This Thunder's team? No.
0:16:16
(Speaker 1)
No chance. No, I'm sorry. No chance. to like 2017, bro, I don't even have to go back to the 2017 Warriors. This team is not better than Boston last year. Nah. Boston last year would have wiped the floor with this team.
0:16:30
(Speaker 1)
They would have wiped the floor with them healthy this year. I'm not gonna lie. I'm saying that.
0:16:34
(Speaker 2)
Duh.
0:16:35
(Speaker 1)
I would have liked to have seen that. That's why I had the finals matchup all year. I think this was kind of horrible. Get them out of there. No, they're getting them out of there. They're getting Drew Holiday and him out of there for sure. I don't know though. Anybody that gets Drew special. Any team that gets Drew special.
0:16:53
(Speaker 1)
Slow down with the all time talks because this roster bro, they literally up, you know, they play better than what they really are on paper and I'm not going to sit here and lie. This is an all-time defensive team but it's both sides of the basketball bro like if the Pacers out here dropping
0:17:10
(Speaker 1)
120, 115 every game you need to match that. This OKC team has done a very very good job on the Pacers defensively. They're bringing all of them out. The Pacers need to play special for them to even have a chance but that's really how good this Pacers team is on paper too. When you have eight players that can go out there and score ten points, that's crazy to me.
0:17:30
(Speaker 1)
And defend for 48 minutes. And defend for 48 minutes. Imagine if Nemhard didn't have to full court press. Imagine how good this guy would be offensively.
0:17:38
(Speaker 2)
He'd be frying them, bro.
0:17:39
(Speaker 1)
He's crazy. He's crazy, bro. Is he a starting one on a lot of rosters? He's a starting one on a lot of rosters. Under Heat? He be nice. We need one so bad, bro. There's so many teams.
0:17:50
(Speaker 1)
Imagine if Nemheart was on the Thunders. Imagine. Imagine if the Thunders had, I'm not gonna lie. See how he come to where he just did that pre-game, bro? It's just hilarious, man. They can't beat the allegations of doing stuff like that, bro.
0:18:13
(Speaker 1)
What was he doing? He said he has a thing where he can't close his eyes, but yeah, that dude... It looked demonic, but I'm not with that, bro. Stop saying this is demonic work, bro. Stop saying this is demonic work bro. This team is just great. Who's been the better defensive team this series? This series? Yeah.
0:18:29
(Speaker 1)
To me it's probably the Thunders. It's the Thunders in this series, but offensively, offensively it's the Pacers. So. But like. Damn, how does that, that doesn't make sense. If I say the Thunders. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I think the Paris has been better defensively, man. I'm not gonna lie. The Thunders have been better offensively either. So, like, that's how you know it's so evenly matched. Yeah.
0:18:49
(Speaker 1)
This is very evenly matched. When I say the Thunders have been better better job taking away the stars, but for some reason the Thunders can't stop their role players. And the Pacers, bro, they're so hard to guard for the simple fact is you don't know who's taking the next shot.
0:19:15
(Speaker 1)
You know, it's like Nembhard could go a whole six minutes without touching the ball or without taking a shot and all of a sudden he takes the next three shots and then you have Nismith coming off screens making the weirdest looking shots ever. You got Obi Toppin coming in the game. He's a threat man. Because he comes in there and it's like he has the ultimate green light.
0:19:35
(Speaker 1)
In game six he came in and took three threes in a row and you think he made two of them? This whole thing, the Pacers team is selfless man. Selfless as hell. Every team, bro. Every player has a green light, confident. Like I said, I really like the fact that if Halle doesn't have it going, that team doesn't die.
0:19:54
(Speaker 1)
They have players where they could go, okay, Halle, go sit in the corner because you're a good enough shooter and you're smart enough to know what to do if we give you the ball. When a player as good as Halle, you can't tell him to stay in the corner. Like, imagine trying to tell Trae Young,
0:20:07
(Speaker 1)
go sit in the corner, we're gonna have Nemhard do pick and rolls for the next five minutes. Or we're gonna have TJ do pick and rolls for the next five. It won't work. Yeah, it won't work because a lot of players are not selfless as Halle is. But that's how Halle catches a rhythm. Like literally last game, Nemhard,
0:20:25
(Speaker 1)
he started the game with like what, nine straight points? And then Halle was like, he started shooting bad, and then he made one three off the corner. And then he caught a rhythm. He went on the run. I love the way, I give a Carlisle a hard time.
0:20:40
(Speaker 1)
To me, Carlisle. But like that's mostly because of what like
0:20:45
(Speaker 2)
media, like the talks they put him in.
0:20:46
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, to me, yeah, it's not, bro, I gotta get this clear, cause I don't hate Carlisle. I think he's done a very, very good job in this series and in this playoffs as a whole. I just have this thing where I don't like,
0:20:58
(Speaker 1)
like he kind of resents some players that play certain type of ways and we've seen that for so many years. He could kind of be weird in a way to certain players. But it's not like this guy's not a great coach. I mean, Carlisle does a great job of just mixing the offense up, letting everybody shine and everybody eat.
0:21:15
(Speaker 1)
He maximizes every single one. He maximizes everybody.
0:21:18
(Speaker 2)
Everybody.
0:21:19
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, sometimes he could be a little hard-headed because, like, I don't know like are he messes around and play Tony Bradley 25 minutes in that game seven and the matter might mess
0:21:30
(Speaker 2)
around play four minutes miles Turner kind of off game obviously is miles Turner he's been there a long time I think he's the longest tenor pace over there and he'll like trust him like even though like he's having a struggle game
0:21:40
(Speaker 1)
like he'll keep him on the floor so but I guess it's because they don't really have a good backup option. If it's a closed game, do you close with Miles Turner or OB? I'm closing with OB, I'm sorry. Yeah. I feel like Siakam is good enough
0:21:54
(Speaker 2)
to keep Shatt off the glass.
0:21:58
(Speaker 1)
Teams down three-two that won game six of the NBA finals have won the last three finals, and that's the past 20 years. So 2010 Lakers were down three-two, they won the next two. 2013 Heat were down three-two, won the next two. And then 2016 Cavs were down three-one
0:22:14
(Speaker 1)
and then won the next three. Sorry about that, brother. Can the 2025 Pacers be the next team to do that? Absolutely. SGA, I trust SGA. There's so many different stats that have to get broken in order for the Thunders, right? All time in 19 Game 7s at home, the home team has been 15-4.
0:22:35
(Speaker 1)
A lot of things have to go the other team's way for them to win. And they have. To me, I'm not going to overreact to game.
0:22:43
(Speaker 2)
I trust SGA to put up a performance, though. Yeah, I'm not gonna overreact to game. I trust SGA to put out a performance though. Like, yeah, I trust them.
0:22:47
(Speaker 3)
I trust them.
0:22:48
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, to be honest, I'm just not gonna overreact to game six. This is how you cement your legacy right here, man. You got to.
0:22:54
(Speaker 2)
This is it right here.
0:22:55
(Speaker 1)
This is it right here. And to put yourself in talk, I'm gonna compare you to Kobe Bryant or to Dwyane Wade, and they're gonna say you're the best player in the NBA, I believe in, I trust in you to go out there and hoop. Would it be shocking to me if they lost? No, because this team is just flawed. And they've went a long way, and I just, I don't believe they're gonna lose this game.
0:23:18
(Speaker 1)
I don't think the Thunder's lose a game like this at home. I just accept the star to show up. To be honest, if you gotta drag players across that finish line, you have to cross.
0:23:27
(Speaker 8)
You feel me?
0:23:28
(Speaker 1)
You got to.
0:23:29
(Speaker 2)
I don't think SG can take more than two minutes off this game.
0:23:32
(Speaker 1)
Yeah. Unless there's a blowout, unless they start blowing him out. Even then, like, cause you know Pacers always come back, but he can't afford to like if you off the floor if you're on the floor they shouldn't be a three minute four minute stretch If you not scoring I mean
0:23:51
(Speaker 1)
The thing will mark is bro he has He has this fetish of playing ten players in a game or at least you got to last game Keep it short leash short leash if K song is out there' the first three, four minutes, get him outta there. You feel me? And I love Kayson, bro, but you played with this guy already. You already started him two games and then benched him.
0:24:12
(Speaker 1)
You kinda already made him lose his confidence. It's bad too, because Ricard's already a champion. So he's gonna know what to do. He's definitely, he's for sure gonna keep us from his players because he already does They need they need to cut down. They need to cut down the hard side minutes Yeah, I'm not gonna say go back to the small ball lineup, but I think Yeah, I think they should I think they should just start Caruso and then chat the five chat the five crew
0:24:37
(Speaker 1)
So start crew so and I mean that's definitely gonna be the closing lineup They have to close with that But I think you rather start with that than use it as a trump card. Because you keep using it as a way for them to save you, but you need that the whole game.
0:24:51
(Speaker 2)
The whole game, it's game seven. You can't, there's no more trump card. There's no game after this.
0:24:55
(Speaker 1)
You have to just go out there and do it. And the Pacers, they've came into people's house and literally have beaten teams in games that people did not think. That Cavs series. Cavs series, when it was game five in Cleveland. People automatically penciled for the Cavs to go back to Indiana for that game six.
0:25:12
(Speaker 1)
What, got pieced up? Last year, game seven, Knicks. A lot of people thought the Knicks would have it at game six, you feel me? Even it's like, okay, you lose a game seven to the Pacers last year and then the next second round They lose game one
0:25:29
(Speaker 1)
You know a lot of people came into that game like okay next you feel me This is gonna be a great game one start You see how that game turned out game one of the finals a lot of people already penciled in the thunders for the win that Game Pacers won. They are very comfortable on the road. They're not scared to come in there and win a game. Like, yeah, they're not. It would just surprise me for this game
0:25:51
(Speaker 1)
to not come down to the last five minutes of the game. Like, a series like this, a run like this, a playoff like this is gonna end in a special way. I don't expect a blowout. It's so weird because both teams are young and it's their first finals, but it feels like Pacers have been here before.
0:26:08
(Speaker 1)
Like the way they're playing, it feels like they've been here. Well, Siakam obviously has been here before, but Caruso has always been there. He's also been there. He's a champion. It just feels like the Pacers have a lot of older guys. Yeah. NBA champ and see outcome and then they have TJ to have miles Turner they got
0:26:26
(Speaker 1)
Was buddy with that be kickboxing all that But I got ejected He's fake tough, man. Nah, he not playin'. I don't wanna troll you. Before we do a couple predictions for game seven, I wanted to talk a couple things about the NBA draft. Ace Bailey holdin' out on interviews and workouts. He doesn't wanna play for the Utah Jazz,
0:26:57
(Speaker 1)
he doesn't wanna play for the Sixers. And I get it. What does he wanna play, Brooklyn? I think he wants to play in Brooklyn, cause I seen him, he had a little advertisement for the Mets.
0:27:06
(Speaker 9)
That'd be fly.
0:27:07
(Speaker 1)
Brooklyn, I heard a couple things where Brooklyn wants to trade up. To go get him? To go get him, or go get Jeremiah Fierce. The thing with like, trades on draft night, is that we hear about them all the time. Like, we've been hearing about trades on Draft Night. This is gonna happen, this is gonna happen.
0:27:25
(Speaker 1)
So many times, and it just never happens. Yeah, I just want all of this to be over. This whole little KD, Sega. Man, that KD stuff is dragging, bro. Like, just trade him. I don't think he gets traded before the draft.
0:27:38
(Speaker 1)
I don't think so either, but they definitely gotta make a decision on that because you don't want a team picking for you. Definitely. I think you don't want a team to pick for you, because that was kind of what happened with Jimmy.
0:27:49
(Speaker 2)
Yeah.
0:27:50
(Speaker 1)
You know, they waited too long, and he went to the only team that could offer them money.
0:27:54
(Speaker 2)
Man, we should have traded him last summer. He could have gotten like extra picks for sure.
0:27:57
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I think this whole KD thing ends after,
0:28:00
(Speaker 2)
after the draft. Let's just abyssal by Suns front office if that's the way it goes. Because then the team you're trading them to is going to take a player they want. They're not even going to take the player you want.
0:28:12
(Speaker 1)
Definitely. And I can't wait to the draft because I'm going to do a pre-draft podcast, post-draft podcast, and kind of have a little takes on where players are going gonna land. Can't wait for the summer league now. Yeah, I can't wait for summer league. Summer league is out here every year.
0:28:26
(Speaker 2)
They're like, cool.
0:28:26
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, hopefully, you feel me? Hopefully we go watch some games in real life. But yeah, speaking of Ace Bailey though, Ace Bailey is a special player. So, some people just need to stop being so hard on kids. If a kid don't wanna play for a team, let it rock like I don't know why people start questioning if this if this guy has a ego if this guy does bro
0:28:46
(Speaker 1)
Why would anybody want to play for the Sixers today? Why would anybody want to go to Philadelphia, bro, they got in be Paul George They got maxi like it's not a situation for a rookie to come in there like and everybody giving this guy such a hard time For even I want to be like He wants to eat right away, so I get it. Right away. Right away, because Brooklyn is the perfect spot for that.
0:29:08
(Speaker 1)
And to be honest, he's so special that the Sixers might not care. They might not care how he feeling about anything. They might just go draft him. He's a gifted scorer, man. He definitely has some flaws as a player,
0:29:18
(Speaker 1)
but he's a gifted scorer. I'll give him that. Tough shot maker. What's his ceiling, man? His ceiling? I don't wanna say Paul George, but Paul George. He's so good off the bounce and he's so good at just making tough shots. He's not as good of a playmaker as him, though. Yeah, he's not. And I don't think he's as good as a dribbler.
0:29:38
(Speaker 1)
But over time, you can kinda develop that. He's what, 18? He's really young. He's really young. He's 18 or 19, one of those. So he could definitely develop a handle, but I just don't think he could develop
0:29:49
(Speaker 2)
the playmaking instincts.
0:29:50
(Speaker 1)
We're gonna see. We're gonna see where he falls in the draft. I don't think he falls. I don't think he falls anything below four.
0:29:57
(Speaker 2)
Can't.
0:29:58
(Speaker 1)
If the Brooklyn wants him, they got trade up up for sure. The Brooklyn ones, though? Yeah, they got trade up. I could see that happening if...
0:30:05
(Speaker 2)
If...
0:30:06
(Speaker 8)
If Foster four?
0:30:07
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, if he Foster four, or I could see them trading up to three.
0:30:11
(Speaker 2)
Who would Philly take a three, though? Like, if they kept the pick and they didn't like, take Ace Bailey?
0:30:15
(Speaker 1)
If they didn't take Ace Bailey? That's a weird spot, man. They go take Fears? Fears, or they go take- Two small guards, man. Or they go get Trey Johnson. You can't just let those type of players fall. I don't think so. To be honest, don't think about high or anything.
0:30:32
(Speaker 1)
Just think about how good, like evaluate what's your top five in this draft. Yeah, I don't buy that fit stuff no more.
0:30:39
(Speaker 2)
Just take the best player.
0:30:40
(Speaker 1)
Just take the best player right there. That's just Ace Bailey, so I think they just gonna take him. Game seven of the NBA Finals. This could be one that's a classic, something we could look back at. And you know, we really gotta cherish a game like this.
0:30:55
(Speaker 2)
Digest every second.
0:30:56
(Speaker 1)
Digest every second. And don't overreact after the game and say some crazy stuff. Ooh, SGA. I ain't gonna lie, you on the clock. Rent is due, man. Rent is due? Rent is due, rent is due. You wanna be in these conversations, you gotta show up. He in these conversations already,
0:31:11
(Speaker 1)
whether they lose or not. But like, it's gonna be flawed conversations if he doesn't show up though. Like, it's always gonna be brought up, bro. Yeah. he just gotta show up. At least show up in the L, if that's, you know what I mean? Take 30 shots. The Pacers have eight players averaging 10 points in the series, and game seven of the finals,
0:31:29
(Speaker 1)
please stop these guys from all scoring 10 points. For this series right now, Chet is averaging 11 points.
0:31:37
(Speaker 2)
Would you say Mark's been getting out coached? Hmm?
0:31:40
(Speaker 1)
Would you say Mark's been getting out coached? He's getting his jaw broke. What? No, he got his jaw broken at Denver series, that's what I'm saying, bro I don't want to make it a SGA agenda, but that's how good he's been Yeah, Chet 11 point on 35 from the field
0:31:58
(Speaker 1)
11% from 3 Jada 24 points on 44 shooting 26 from 3
0:32:04
(Speaker 7)
There's only one player on this team that's shooting over 40% from 3 enough and Caruso J-Dub, 24 points on 44 shooting, 26 from three.
0:32:05
(Speaker 1)
There's only one player on this team that's shooting over 40% from three in a, and Caruso, man. I'm telling you, you gotta start Caruso. You got to. It's not what you don't.
0:32:13
(Speaker 1)
I wouldn't run no double big lineup
0:32:15
(Speaker 2)
to start Caruso right away.
0:32:17
(Speaker 1)
We're gonna see Camridge Williams menace in game seven in the finals. Like literally, we are but he's not good for basketball we don't see I'm telling you a role player gonna show up bro one role player gonna go out one role play gonna show up and I feel like it's gonna be a Thunder player I was gonna be a Thunder player TJ McConnell right now he's snatching that he say
0:32:38
(Speaker 1)
basketball title from Aaron Wiggins so Aaron Wiggins better go out there shoot 10 threes bro you want that bag go shoot 10 threes, bro. If you want that bag, go shoot 10 threes. Yeah, to me, I got the Thunders in a very close one. I think SGA goes out there and hoop. 35 plus. He needs to go hoop.
0:32:53
(Speaker 2)
35 plus.
0:32:54
(Speaker 1)
These are the moments, man. You need to go out there and take it. Stop being too cool for a shot. Spent your season, man. This is a perfect season. They haven't won a game where he hasn't shot over 10 free throws in this series. He needs to attack. J-Dub, no mid-ranges.
0:33:09
(Speaker 1)
You need to go to the paint. They're too little. They literally cannot guard these players. They're too little. Stop settling for any jump shots. That's why you can't run the two big lineups, though.
0:33:19
(Speaker 1)
You clogging the paint, so. Clogging the paint this should be a game where they go drive to the paint every single play especially as Jay man I feel like he says a lot too he does he said and he said it was a lot he said it was a lot when them heart is on him and then he's like like they're not biting on the pump fake at all go attack let's go attack all them are staying down let's go attack. You have to make your decision, you got to pick a team. I got Thunder. I got the Thunder, SGA Masterclass. Nah, I got to.
0:33:46
(Speaker 1)
I got to.
0:33:47
(Speaker 3)
I can't go to Pacers, man.
0:33:48
(Speaker 7)
I, yeah, SGA Masterclass, man.
0:33:49
(Speaker 2)
SGA Masterclass.
0:33:50
(Speaker 6)
The Pacers never won a win, right?
0:33:51
(Speaker 2)
So this will be like either team first win? Yeah.
0:33:53
(Speaker 1)
That's special. We'll be back on Monday. Y'all can follow Jay on Twitter at JayTalkWith2Ks. That's special. We'll be back on Monday. Y'all can follow Jay on Twitter at JayTalkWith2Ks. Tap in with my boy, man.