Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
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? What's up y'all? Welcome back to another episode of A Bud Aboard.
0:00:03
(Speaker 14)
I'm your host, Kebron.
0:00:04
(Speaker 1)
Kebron. What's up y'all, man? I got my boy Jason with me in the cut. What up, what up?
0:00:08
(Speaker 4)
That's the word, Jay.
0:00:09
(Speaker 12)
How you been?
0:00:10
(Speaker 1)
Chillin', bro. Ready to talk about basketball, man. Ready to talk about Hoos, man, did you watch yesterday? Yeah, of course I watched it, man. Man, what a game yesterday. We had the Pacers winning game three, 116-107. Benetton Mathurin had 27 points in 22 minutes. Hadley almost had a triple double, 22-9-11. Siakam with 21 on 8-14 shooting.
0:00:39
(Speaker 1)
If you had to give the game ball to anybody in that game, who would it be? TJ McConaughey. TJ McConaughey. TJ McConaughey. What was TJ's stats? I think he had like six steals, no?
0:00:47
(Speaker 2)
He had 10, five, and five. Five steals, though.
0:00:50
(Speaker 1)
Five steals?
0:00:50
(Speaker 12)
Yeah.
0:00:51
(Speaker 1)
You giving it to TJ over Benedict? Man, that's tough, but I gotta go TJ. Man, I feel like, that game's gonna be remembered cause of TJ, but I don't know bro. Benedict bro, he had like 14 points in like four minutes to start off that second half.
0:01:11
(Speaker 1)
I mean that second quarter and I just don't know how, I don't know how they could guard him. I mean all three games it feels like he's like the best scorer for the Pacers damn near. All three levels man. He had like 14 points, 10 minutes, but then Carlisle does this thing where he just subs him out and treats him like he's a 18 year old player.
0:01:28
(Speaker 1)
I was watching the game. Benedict had like one turnover in the third quarter. After he went crazy the whole game, he had this one turnover, and you got Doris Burke over here talking about, and these are the mistakes about Benedict,
0:01:39
(Speaker 1)
this and that. And I'm like, bro, that's exactly how Carlisle be looking at this guy, bro. It's like they treat him like a kid. It's been like that since he came to the NBA though.
0:01:49
(Speaker 2)
Like he always had a short leash with the Pacers.
0:01:52
(Speaker 1)
I don't understand it, bro. We know he could score the ball though.
0:01:55
(Speaker 2)
Like he could score the ball.
0:01:57
(Speaker 1)
Bro, he was their second leading scorer all season. And then like, you know, there's games where he's getting less minutes than Ben Shepard, like how does that even make sense? He got hurt though, he got hurt a little bit
0:02:06
(Speaker 2)
in the early season and then he lost his minutes a little bit.
0:02:09
(Speaker 1)
In that first half, it's like, I think Nembhard had three fouls, Neesmith had three fouls, Siakam had three fouls, so they kinda had to play Benedict. But this should have been like this the whole three games, He needs to play more if they want to win this series. I had a couple notes on there
0:02:28
(Speaker 3)
Hadley had his first good half in the series and then that kind of
0:02:35
(Speaker 13)
Went on into the whole game and he had Ole Miss a triple-double with 22 points and it's like Hallie needs to start off good
0:02:39
(Speaker 1)
How can how do you think he could start off good every game like that? Why is there why is there this thing with Halle where there's games where he scores three points for a whole three quarter and then there's games like this where he kind of completely takes over the whole game? I think he's too passive sometimes. I think Dort is just doing a good job of like putting him in that chamber man.
0:02:53
(Speaker 2)
I'm not gonna lie.
0:02:54
(Speaker 1)
Hacking. They can say whatever about Dort man but he's a good defender. A great defender. So he just gotta like find his looks more, get to the spots. Play off that pick and roll more, man. Yeah, my game ball goes to Benedict Mathurin. 27 points in 22 minutes is ridiculous. That has to be some kind of unique stat in the NBA finals.
0:03:12
(Speaker 1)
They said he's the first player off the bench,
0:03:14
(Speaker 2)
or fourth I think, to like score 25 or something.
0:03:18
(Speaker 1)
That's some Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili thing to do. Like, you know. They said Jason Terry, bro. It's a Ronald Ginobili thing to do. Like, you know. Yeah, no cap. That's not nothing regular to do.
0:03:25
(Speaker 2)
He could score though. He could just, bro, he could score, bro. I've always loved his game, man. He could score, bro.
0:03:29
(Speaker 1)
Who do you think they could put on him to slow that kinda down? Cause it's like, if Benedict goes for anything above 20 in game four, there's no. They got a lot of looks though. Caruso, I can't say Jadub because he got to stay on Siakam, man. Siakam had his first good game in the series.
0:03:48
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, and Jadub's been doing a good job on him the whole series, and then he just went, Siakam just went crazy yesterday.
0:03:55
(Speaker 1)
SGA was the closest defender on 23 shots by the Pacers in game three. amount of any game for SGA this season. Do you think that kinda was the reason why he played the?
0:04:06
(Speaker 2)
Huh?
0:04:07
(Speaker 1)
They were hunting SGA? Yes, they were hunting SGA. That's the first time all year that he defended that much. Do you think that's the reason why he played poorly in the fourth quarter?
0:04:15
(Speaker 12)
He was gas, man.
0:04:15
(Speaker 11)
He was gas, man.
0:04:16
(Speaker 10)
Yeah.
0:04:17
(Speaker 2)
He was gas.
0:04:18
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I saw this clip with like three minutes and like 40 seconds left in the game. It was Caruso, he had his hand on his knee and then SGA had his hand on his knee. I haven't seen him like that all year because they play harder than anybody else. Yeah, he was gas. Yeah, this feels like the first time all season where they're playing somebody on their level.
0:04:35
(Speaker 2)
I think they're trying to play up to the pace's pace which you can't do. That's the reason why Kayson started in the first three games, do you think that was premature? Nah, I think it was smart to be honest, but I don't think it's working. I think I've seen a stat where the double big lineup for OKC is like plus 15 or something,
0:04:53
(Speaker 2)
or like some crazy stat, but they only played it to 10 minutes, I think they gotta look at it more.
0:04:58
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I mean a lot of people think that premature to put K-Sauce on the starting line, why change something that has worked all season, all playoffs, right before the finals, at all series, and it's just not working out the way Mark thought it would work out. Do you go back to the double bigs? Or do you think if you go back to the double bigs,
0:05:18
(Speaker 1)
you're basically like, oh, I was wrong?
0:05:20
(Speaker 2)
Nah, I think you gotta go back, put that pride aside.
0:05:23
(Speaker 1)
You gotta go back, put that pride aside. You gotta go back. You can't put that pride aside, cause it's like you kinda losing faith in the coaching staff, and then you kinda losing faith in Kayson. To me, I thought it was the right decision to do. The reason why, it's just not working out
0:05:38
(Speaker 1)
the way they thought it would work. But it's like, maybe they need to change it up a little bit. Maybe put Caruso in that starting lineup over Kayson. Because the double bigs, I really do believe that they would get ran off the court. I don't think people are watching how the Pacers are playing, bro.
0:05:54
(Speaker 2)
It's just fast, man. Fast team. They just run it.
0:05:57
(Speaker 1)
Imagine them off balling SGA, they way they have all series. There's gonna be times where like door has to bring the ball up or chet has to bring the ball up or Harnstein has to bring the ball up cuz sga was rearing up the wall, but he's getting a full-court press Nobody else bring up the ball like he's gonna get gas by the fourth quarter every single game every game It can't be the double bigs all game They got him playing right, they got him starting, but it feels like he's just over there doing nothing.
0:06:25
(Speaker 1)
It was the Denver series, two games with like six and seven assists. If K-Sauce is gonna be a part of the starting lineup, run plays for him, run actions for him.
0:06:32
(Speaker 2)
Like I think he should be like a secondary ball handler.
0:06:34
(Speaker 1)
He has to be. So that's Jay can play off the ball more. Definitely, because it feels like he's doing nothing. What is he on the court for? A playing defense that's just in the corner. That's not gonna win him the series at all. The thing with this roster, bro, a lot of people, like, I don't wanna say overrated it, cause that roster is crazy defensively.
0:06:53
(Speaker 1)
But this roster has so many holes in it that people just blindly ignore it because SGA just been on a crazy run this year. If SGA don't get 35, they lose. They don't really have, they had 38 game one, they lost. So that was horrible. Yeah, I think they're gonna look back at that game and be like, wow, we really lost.
0:07:09
(Speaker 1)
Like, especially if they lose a series, that's gonna sting. And I hope it's not like the Knicks series where it felt like game one was a reason the Knicks lost that series. Yeah. It was game one, nothing else. It would've been, there's no way you're telling, if they win game one, let's say they go to game seven
0:07:25
(Speaker 1)
again, right, I just don't believe in my mind that they lose game sevens back to back at home in two years, I don't think that happens. And the Knicks could literally just look back at game one and be like, we lost that series because of game one. And then, to be honest, they lost at home man. That's Yeah, yeah, that was okay. See first
0:07:45
(Speaker 1)
No, that was the okay. See second home loss of this playoffs that's gonna hurt them looking back they need game four, but
0:07:52
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, they gotta win game four. I mean obviously for obvious reasons yesterday's game I told you it's patients. It was looking like a must-win game I feel like if the patients didn't win they were just gonna lay down game for yeah I just feel like if the Patriots didn't win, they were just going to lay down game four. I just feel like OKC was going to come out with an avalanche, but now I feel like the pressure's on them, so I feel like it's going to be a close game again.
0:08:10
(Speaker 1)
What do you think the Thunder's goal from here?
0:08:12
(Speaker 4)
Like, where will...
0:08:13
(Speaker 2)
Oh man. I don't know, man. Honestly, I just... God will find a way to conserve SGA energy bro. He looked good. I never seen him that gas like he was gas bro And I felt like they were hunting him like now I'm thinking about it in the fourth quarter They were putting him in a lot of actions He just has to flash a little bit more
0:08:31
(Speaker 2)
Like when they're trying to hunt him and get the main defender like it was like Hallie mostly that was hunting him
0:08:37
(Speaker 1)
I just feel like okay. He's like they want to switch. I just feel like they gotta switch less. They gotta switch less? They gotta switch less, man. They switching on things that you don't need to switch on Eastman.
0:08:48
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, they switch on everything. I mean, I get that you're a historically good defensive team, but it's not working, man. It's not working.
0:08:55
(Speaker 1)
Aaron Wiggins went from 18 points to how much? A donut. A donut. Yeah, he needs to things change in the league, bro. Yeah, they just run an eight man lineup. Eight man, nah, I don't think you go away from, I don't think they go away from Aaron Wiggins.
0:09:11
(Speaker 1)
But it's just like, that just shows you how crazy home court advantage really is. The Benedict Mansour, that's 27 in 32 minutes off the bench, bro. And I feel like Jaylon Williams had a good game yesterday, but I still feel like he needs to do more even. I know he had a good game, but I feel like I need to see more.
0:09:28
(Speaker 1)
What's with him in the clutch? He look crazy in the clutch. I don't know what that was, bro. I think he had like three missed free throws in the clutch. And I'm like, bro, he taking these free throws with no pride in them. It don't make sense to me how every time the going gets tough, this dude looks terrible, bro. And I'm a big, I'm a actual J-Dub fan.
0:09:46
(Speaker 1)
Like I'm out here, like really out here putting my honor to the side, because I'm actually out here on Discord and all of that defending this guy, bro. But it feels like whenever something like, when it's in the clutch and SGA throws the ball. J-Dub, please do something. Yeah, man. He tries to get to that middy,
0:10:06
(Speaker 2)
but he just doesn't go in, man.
0:10:08
(Speaker 9)
That can't be.
0:10:09
(Speaker 1)
I think J-Dub is a way better player when he's on a fast break.
0:10:12
(Speaker 2)
Yeah.
0:10:13
(Speaker 1)
On an open break, off steals. He's just more of a player like that. I really like J-Dub, but when we're in the clutch, bro, get a ball to SJ and get out the way. And I feel like SJ has had this series where he's kinda like trying to rely on his teammates in the clutch, no bro, this is not the time for that bro.
0:10:29
(Speaker 2)
You the MVP, go get the bucket.
0:10:30
(Speaker 1)
Go get the bucket, game one, if he took more shots in the clutch, they would've probably won game one. Both games, you right, both games he's low key laid down the clutch, he gotta go make a play. And I thought he played pretty good yesterday for the first three quarters. But like you said, the fourth quarter came and it felt like he was just gassed.
0:10:49
(Speaker 1)
It felt like he was settling. He kept taking these long mid-ranges. I mean, I know mid-ranges is bad, but bro, get to the line, get some layups, try to get something, bro. These fadeaways, when you're gassed, they not it.
0:11:02
(Speaker 2)
Hold on, like They played him good, so they forced him to be kind of like a playmaker, and then they
0:11:07
(Speaker 1)
turned him over six times yesterday. Yeah, I saw that.
0:11:11
(Speaker 2)
I feel like he just has to stop forcing passes. So there was this one play, he tried to do a skip pass to the corner, and then TJ McCollum just read that the whole way, and then in the fourth quarter, he tried to pass Eihardt or like Shett and then he didn't even look and Halle just stole it. When somebody stole it and then they threw it to Halle for a fast break, done. Like, that's a momentum changing plays, man.
0:11:31
(Speaker 1)
You can't turn the ball over like that. Yeah, the Pacers did a good job just putting so many different people on him. I don't know who it was that said, different defenders on him. They tried literally every single, bro, I saw everybody on him. It went from Neesmith to Nembhard to Shepard, Siakam. Siakam had a play in the fourth quarter that blew me. He sat and then he went on a fast break,
0:11:56
(Speaker 1)
caught the ball, SGA was too tired, bro. He didn't even try to stop it. It was an easy layup. Easy layup, but I'm like, damn, bro. I just feel like, man, the Pacers, they really is an AAU team, bro. As soon as a bucket goes in for them, bro,
0:12:09
(Speaker 1)
they're on SGA right away, whoever's guarding him, whoever the matchup is. They don't care.
0:12:13
(Speaker 2)
They're pressing him full court, 94 feet.
0:12:14
(Speaker 1)
And they don't care if they get scored on. Yeah. Can we talk about Aaron Neesman, man? He's a tryhard. I can't believe this, man. Why is he shooting like this?
0:12:25
(Speaker 2)
I can't believe he's shooting like this, man.
0:12:30
(Speaker 1)
Thing that blows me about the Pacers, they have like three, four players that should have been a Warrior. That should have been a Warrior. They say Hadley should have been drafted. He was Steve Kerr's guy. We're going to draft Hadley, come draft night, you know what happened.
0:12:45
(Speaker 1)
They say we might trade back, get OB Toppin', and you see OB Toppin' contributing on an actual team to the finals, this is crazy by the way. And then trade deadline comes what, two years ago. We want Siakam. Siakam ends up going to the Pacers,
0:13:00
(Speaker 1)
they didn't make the package because they didn't want to send no young guys for Siakam. This whole time we need a big that can shoot. We want Miles Turner, we want Miles Turner. Pacers was not going for anybody. I like how the Pacers just never gave up on Miles Turner, even though they put him on the trade block many times.
0:13:14
(Speaker 2)
Every season, bro, every season he's on the trade block.
0:13:15
(Speaker 1)
But they never, bro, throw you a second, maybe two seconds, maybe this player, but I don't know, the Pacers did a good job just not settling for any of those type of players and it kinda worked out for them. Because they ended up just getting like nine good NBA players on their team. Rick Carline, man, he could coach, bro.
0:13:37
(Speaker 1)
He could coach.
0:13:38
(Speaker 2)
He could coach.
0:13:38
(Speaker 1)
I saw this thing, bro, Twitter does this thing where when somebody wins a series or they reach four in the playoffs, they start gassing somebody some crazy.
0:13:47
(Speaker 2)
What they say?
0:13:48
(Speaker 1)
I ain't see it. I saw some crazy thing about Carlin might be top three coach or he the best coach in the league. Stop it.
0:13:55
(Speaker 8)
Who you top three then?
0:13:57
(Speaker 1)
Carlin not in there. I'm gonna keep it a V. I think he a good coach, bro, but I'm not gonna forget the last 12 years. I don't just forget just because you have a good playoff. Now, I'm not gonna be like, oh, since this team in the finals,
0:14:11
(Speaker 1)
they might win the finals or they're about to win the finals, now Carlisle's the best coach. No, that's not how it work. I think the Pacers are a great team. system too. Good system and everything's just like a lot of stuff is falling into their hands. I'm not gonna put you over Spoh, over Kerr. When I talk about Spoh, it's terrible man, it looks terrible. I'm not gonna lie. Spoh, Carlisle has not been in Spoh and I don't care
0:14:35
(Speaker 1)
how or who tells me what. You don't understand. Like look at the players that Spoh has on his team bro, like Spo has to take G-Leaguers to the playoffs every year. But that's his choice man, like he vouches
0:14:46
(Speaker 2)
for his players bro, like that's him.
0:14:48
(Speaker 1)
Nah, that's called brainwash from the higher ups bro, he's been getting brainwashed by Pat Riley.
0:14:55
(Speaker 2)
I feel like the Pacers did a very good job of like, budding around Halle, I like the players they put around him,
0:14:59
(Speaker 1)
it's like perfect. Yeah, they did, they did. I like how when Halle was getting locked up, it's not like the end of the world for the Pacers.
0:15:08
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, they got Neymar.
0:15:09
(Speaker 1)
They got Neymar. Neymar, the first two games, it felt like Halle was just standing in the corner for a lot of time.
0:15:14
(Speaker 2)
I'm still thinking about the high-serve he did on SGA, bro.
0:15:17
(Speaker 5)
That was fake.
0:15:18
(Speaker 2)
That was fake, bro.
0:15:19
(Speaker 1)
That was OD. That was crazy, that was crazy. I never seen, I never seen. You never seen him act like that? No, no, I never seen SGA get dogged like that. Because that's just usually the other way around.
0:15:28
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, he walked him down.
0:15:29
(Speaker 1)
Nah, I seen that with Nembhard though. I remember that, do you remember that game winner the Pacers had on the Warriors a couple years ago? Nembhard went crazy in that game. I think Nemhart gave Curry like 30 in 10. He's nice. After that I was like, okay, who's this guy?
0:15:45
(Speaker 2)
And he's sick, bro. That's, yeah.
0:15:47
(Speaker 1)
I wanted to talk about a couple different things. Nobody wants to be the New York Knicks coach.
0:15:53
(Speaker 2)
Everybody's saying that.
0:15:57
(Speaker 1)
Everybody's saying, hell no, man, hell no. I don't wanna be the New York Knicks coach. Who turned him down? Jason Kidd. The Hawks, Quinn Snyder. Coach Snyder, Billy Donovan.
0:16:08
(Speaker 7)
Edoka.
0:16:09
(Speaker 1)
Edoka, and there was a fifth one.
0:16:11
(Speaker 2)
Ah man, it's all bad though.
0:16:13
(Speaker 1)
It's a fifth one. Why do you think nobody?
0:16:15
(Speaker 2)
Oh, Chris Finch, Chris Finch.
0:16:16
(Speaker 1)
Chris Finch, why do you got Wings, oh man. You know what I feel like?
0:16:30
(Speaker 2)
I don't know, I don't know why nobody want that job. I just feel like every team they ask, I like, they have a good build. I feel like you're trying to take teams,
0:16:37
(Speaker 1)
like you're trying to take coaches from teams they future set. The thing with that is, I really believe that the Knicks are just doing that as a gimmick. Is that, it's like they know they can't get this guy. Why would Chris Fitch go to your team? Are you, come on bro. They're just doing that to say, okay we fired a coach that took us
0:16:58
(Speaker 1)
to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years, or whatever it was, right? Oh, we fired him, but it's not like we're not trying to get guys, bro, they already got a guy. They already got one of these assistant coaches on one of these teams, or even on their team.
0:17:10
(Speaker 1)
That they're gonna, they're not getting no big time coach. Like, they're not. Because everybody sees, bro. That GM like nobody. Not GM, their owner, what's his name? James Dole? Yeah, bro, he don't like nobody. Hold on, was it the right move to fire Tibidodo?
0:17:27
(Speaker 1)
I think you probably hit your peak with Tibs. This was as open as it's ever gonna get. People keep saying next year the NBA, oh the East is open, or the NBA is open. It's open this year. Like, there's no LeBron, there's no Curry, there's no KD, there's no Celtics. And I know OKC's in the finals right now, but they're only gonna get better.
0:17:45
(Speaker 1)
So, like, they got pigs too.
0:17:47
(Speaker 2)
They got a lottery pig, bro.
0:17:50
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, it kinda gets scary for the league. If they lose this finals, they're-
0:17:54
(Speaker 2)
They're doing something, man.
0:17:55
(Speaker 1)
I think they're moving away from J-Dub if they lose this finals. Who you gonna get? You could get a lot for J-Dub. Not a lot, but you could get somebody really good for J-Dub. He could be a starter for a package,
0:18:05
(Speaker 2)
but who are you gonna trade for?
0:18:08
(Speaker 1)
Kevin Durant.
0:18:10
(Speaker 2)
They're not trading for KD.
0:18:11
(Speaker 1)
Nah, they're not trading for KD. I think they most likely stay with the same roster. But it's the fact that you win 57 games, then you lose to the Mavericks, and then you win 68 games, there's no way you should be losing in the finals.
0:18:29
(Speaker 1)
There's no way you should lose to the Pacers. Not this roster. This damn near the biggest upset ever.
0:18:36
(Speaker 2)
Come on, man.
0:18:37
(Speaker 1)
You don't think so? Ever? They were plus 6,600 in a year to win the championship.
0:18:43
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I understand, but y'all, that's like- Y'all two years ago, they had 99.9% chance that the Southeast was gonna beat y'all.
0:18:49
(Speaker 1)
Nah, nah, nah, we got Curry. That's not the biggest upset ever. Like, it's like, there can't be no upset. You got Curry on your team. It was an upset, but it's like- 2015 Warriors were like plus 2,700. Not by the time of the playoff. By the time the playoffs came, I mean, they won 67 games.
0:19:08
(Speaker 1)
So it was a little different after that. But it's a way bigger upset. This Pacers team should not be doing the things that they're doing. I mean, now that we're watching, yeah, they're really, really good, bro.
0:19:17
(Speaker 2)
But nobody expected them to be in no finals, let alone about to win it. I mean, you watch how they play the whole year. I mean, the whole playoff series, though, we could kind of tell. I'm not saying we were better than them. It's kind of similar to how our team was in the 2023, where they were just the underdogs the whole playoff series, and they just keep doing it and doing it and doing it.
0:19:36
(Speaker 1)
I wanted to talk about a couple trade rumors. They saying they might trade Jordan Poole. The Wizards might trade Jordan Poole. Magic's plus 550 to get him. Sacramento Kings plus 600. I saw somebody on Twitter keep talking about the Timberwolves might need a point guard.
0:19:54
(Speaker 2)
I was about to say, Minnesota looks, that would be nasty, bro, I ain't gonna lie.
0:19:57
(Speaker 1)
Jordan Poole with Ant.
0:19:58
(Speaker 4)
Yeah, that'd be nasty.
0:19:59
(Speaker 1)
Could that work?
0:20:00
(Speaker 2)
Yes, absolutely.
0:20:01
(Speaker 1)
I think so. Do they move on from Mike Conley this offseason, or do they bring him off the bench?
0:20:06
(Speaker 2)
He's just gonna come off the bench, man.
0:20:07
(Speaker 1)
He's gonna come off the bench. Yeah, I don't think he's gonna start no more on that team. I think that shit pissed. So, there's no reason for you to go to back-to-back conference finals with Mike Conley as your starting point guard. Obviously, the Magic, they've been the best defenders in the league. I don't know what the Mets is doing. Yeah, they need a point guard, bet. They have no shooting on their roster and they almost gave 300 mil to Franz Wagner,
0:20:31
(Speaker 1)
so I don't really wanna be that guy, but.
0:20:33
(Speaker 2)
They not gonna pay him? They gonna pay him, bro. Who?
0:20:36
(Speaker 1)
They gonna pay Franz. They already did. 250, Franz Wagner $250 million American cash. He's a good player.
0:20:46
(Speaker 2)
You don't like Franz?
0:20:47
(Speaker 1)
I like Franz. Would I pay him 250? I mean, there's so many players in the league right now that got contracts they should not have.
0:20:54
(Speaker 2)
This is a new NBA, man.
0:20:55
(Speaker 1)
I'm sorry, the cash is just gonna keep going up. Emmanuel quickly got a contract for like 175 million.
0:21:01
(Speaker 2)
By the time Wimby get his contract, it's gonna be like some crazy amount. SGA finna get 78 million a year. Yeah, man. They said Booker was gonna get 75 million a year,
0:21:09
(Speaker 1)
and I'm just like. That would be the worst contract ever.
0:21:12
(Speaker 2)
They said two year at 150, man. It's still terrible.
0:21:14
(Speaker 1)
I know it's terrible. 150 for Devin Booker, bro. Yeah, it's nasty. Don't make sense to me because by now he should have been clearly a top five player should have been clearly the best shooting guard in the league Where did that go wrong? Why why can't he win games with Kevin Durant on his team?
0:21:31
(Speaker 2)
He got like I think they blew up the roster with the four they had and in Chris ball I think Booker didn't want ain't there no more And he got an earpiece and then that's I fell apart of that man. Then they want to go get Bradley bill like they traded both their two wings that they drafted Yeah They traded both the wings and then you trade away two of the players that got you there like deep in the past like they Went to the finals with a and Chris Paul
0:21:54
(Speaker 2)
I mean Chris Paul was like, okay, like, you know, you could trade Chris Paul He's older but like you trading a and like I understand like he didn't want to put in the work for a little bit, but he worked with Devin Booker well. I don't even understand how the relationship ended.
0:22:06
(Speaker 1)
Booker got him out of there. The San Antonio Spurs, drafting Dylan Harper, drafting Dylan Harper is reportedly not a done deal. They might move that second pick.
0:22:16
(Speaker 2)
That's a punt fake, man. There's no way you don't take Dylan with Wimby, I'm sorry. That's, come on. I mean, I get it though, because you traded for Fox, so I feel like it's a direction they got to go. You either trade Fox this offseason. Castle, Fox, and Dylan Harper, it doesn't make sense.
0:22:29
(Speaker 1)
A lot of these teams, they should just learn from other teams. It's like, stop trying to pick based off your roster. Stop trying to...
0:22:37
(Speaker 2)
You got to take the best player.
0:22:38
(Speaker 1)
You have to take the best player, and Dylan Harper is easily the second best player in the draft. I don't want to say overly easily, because I mean, Ace Bailey is crazy, but you take Dylan second. You take Dylan second, or do you trade, do you trade that, would you trade that pick for KD? No, absolutely not, man, I'm sorry.
0:22:58
(Speaker 1)
Because he doesn't even fit their timeline, like it don't make sense. And then, are they ready to compete next year like Katie's older So I feel like he should go to like a teen is like ready to go there but the Spurs I'm not saying they're not ready, but like They're a couple years away. They're not I don't I don't I don't even know why you would mess up what you got going on
0:23:16
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, so to do so do you trade Fox? No, I don't trade Fox. So you want Castle, Fox, and Dylan Harper? I keep all of them. That makes no sense. I keep all of them, I don't care. Just like, I don't think Fox, I don't wanna say that Fox is not a long-term player for the Spurs, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone in three years, two years.
0:23:37
(Speaker 2)
Yeah.
0:23:38
(Speaker 1)
Bro, Wimby's 21 years old. Dylan to like, hit the break out. To break out. Yeah, that makes sense. But I don't think Fox being there hinders Dylan. Like, it's just like. You think it only helps him? It only helps him. Cause it's just like, I saw Fox play with Hadley. Fox looked great with Hadley.
0:23:53
(Speaker 1)
And they play, I know Dylan plays a little different than Hadley, but Fox being on the court, bro, Fox is a combo guard. He is a combo guard, but I think he could pass. I think he could really pass the ball. Maybe they give him that point guard role
0:24:10
(Speaker 1)
a little more than...
0:24:11
(Speaker 2)
None of the three guards that they're gonna have, bro, I don't think none of them are gonna be anywhere elite.
0:24:16
(Speaker 1)
Like the A tier literally a small wing. I wouldn't be surprised if they put Castle at the shooting guard spot, and he's not a point guard.
0:24:28
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, he's not a point guard.
0:24:29
(Speaker 1)
He's not a point guard. I know they tried to make him a point guard, but he's just a small wing, that's all it is. Yeah, he could be a star. I think he could be a star. I think he could be an all-star. He's good. He a couple years away, but they could kinda trade the number two pick, no, not trade the number, keep the number two pick
0:24:51
(Speaker 1)
and still get Kevin Durant. They still got tradebacks like Devon Vassell, Kelton Johnson. Man, that was a buck a year ago. But I get it, to pay KD too, so. Are you going to compete in that window you pay him in? Probably, but.
0:25:09
(Speaker 1)
KD probably still wants to get one big contract.
0:25:11
(Speaker 2)
Yeah.
0:25:12
(Speaker 1)
And he's good enough to keep, to get at least a three year contract. What a team should do is kind of similar to what the Warriors did with Jimmy Butler. Where they traded for him in an extended two years? You're not gonna get that situation again though, man. The Valley was just at its slowest. We should've never gotten only one pick for Jimmy Butler, bro.
0:25:27
(Speaker 6)
That's bad.
0:25:28
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, he would like, the whole drama thing that happened, it was just Pat Riley putting his pride out there. He should've been traded in the offseason.
0:25:35
(Speaker 1)
That was filthy, by the way. We did something crazy. Yeah, that was a crazy lick, man. If they do something correct, if they just go get a big, or if they just go get a scoring guard. Who the worst? Yes, they're gonna look crazy next year. Like I really believe that.
0:25:50
(Speaker 1)
Man, I'm gonna be honest bro, the Heat,
0:25:52
(Speaker 2)
man, I feel like we just gotta restart bro.
0:25:55
(Speaker 1)
It's over?
0:25:56
(Speaker 5)
It's just over.
0:25:56
(Speaker 2)
It's over? It's over, it's over. I'm not gonna lie, I don't know. Unless they luck out on a star.
0:26:05
(Speaker 1)
I don't know a perfect team for Bam.
0:26:07
(Speaker 2)
Unless they luck out on a 20 pick and get a star, which is very unlikely, then it's over man, it's over. They talking about they gonna trade for KD, like I don't see what that does. Yeah. I guess Spode's gonna maximize a roster
0:26:21
(Speaker 2)
every single season, but man. The thing with KD, I think he kinda wants to go over there.
0:26:26
(Speaker 1)
I think he kinda wants to go to the Spurs.
0:26:28
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, he probably does.
0:26:30
(Speaker 1)
You know how KD work though, man. I wanna talk about game four. Where do you think the Pacers, what do you think the Pacers need to do to win game four, or what do you think the Thunders need to do
0:26:41
(Speaker 2)
to win game four? Pastures, kind of a similar thing. Just run him out, run the break, give Ben Dignathew minutes. Don't shy away from him because we know he could score. You need him to win the four to win. Kind of like the similar thing. I feel like blitzing SGA again, I feel like he's going to make the right plays this time because they're going to watch the film over. That goes back to like, okay, see what they need to do. I don't know, man. I feel like they need a secondary ball handler with SGA.
0:27:05
(Speaker 2)
Some of those minutes, because you don't want him gassing the fourth quarter. Because like, bro, every single time, like game one, two, he had a very good game going into the last five minutes. And he's just always settling, sitting in the corner.
0:27:16
(Speaker 2)
I don't even know who their second best handler is. He's kind of iffy with the rock and the clutch. It's literally J-Dub. It's crazy. Yeah, it has like, it's J-Dub, but I can't just say that, because it's Kayson. Kayson kind of can handle the ball a little bit.
0:27:29
(Speaker 1)
He can.
0:27:30
(Speaker 2)
So I feel like he needs to take the ball up and then just set an action for him or SGA. It feels like they're being Yeah, so I think you just need to run more actions. That gets SGA away from the ball, so he's not handling the ball too much. And then I want him to flash more defensively. Do not let SGA take the assignment.
0:27:59
(Speaker 2)
Flash SGA and then go back to your assignment. If he's defending the most out of the Thunder players, then they're just not defending right. I don't think that's a good plan. I don't think you're not going to win the series doing that.
0:28:11
(Speaker 1)
They're not. I don't think they should resort back to the double big, as in change the starting lineup. I think you keep the same starting lineup or maybe switch it to Caruso. But I think we should get the double big lineup in the game more.
0:28:26
(Speaker 1)
It feels like, how many minutes did we get at last game? It might've, I don't even think it's over five.
0:28:31
(Speaker 2)
Okay, so do you think they do the double big without SGA or like with SGA? You think it helps SGA more when the double big lineup
0:28:36
(Speaker 1)
is there? No, I think it helps the others more, yes. Because when SGA goes to the bench, go to the double big lineup. When you're doing the small ball, give K-Saunders ball more. The first game it felt like SGA was aggressive the whole game and then he got tired.
0:28:53
(Speaker 1)
And then it felt like last game, he was kind of just settling the whole game so he could try to preserve his energy at the end. But he still got cooked because they attacked them defensively way more than they did the first two games. I'm okay with SGA guarding.
0:29:09
(Speaker 1)
I don't think you should try to hide SGA defensively or anything like that. But if he's gonna be guarding that much and he's gonna be playing offensively that much, then you do, you're exactly right. They need another ball handler.
0:29:20
(Speaker 1)
They might need more things from J-Dub. J-Dub needs to stop doing these long mid-ranges. He just needs to stop that, bro. I'm not rocking with it. Even when he's hitting it, I be like, okay. Bro, I like J-Dub on a break.
0:29:34
(Speaker 1)
That's why, off the rebound, you don't always have to give SJ the ball. Like, give it to J-Dub and let him try to go on a break, go, go. Draw a foul or something. Yes, and they kinda need to match what the Pacers are doing. Because we all know that the Thunders is kinda similar to the Pacers in terms of that AU ball
0:29:55
(Speaker 1)
where they full court press you too. It felt like they're getting kinda outmatched in the things they do, like the way door being people face. I'll say yeah, they're gonna outmatch Physicality, I feel like. Nembhard and Nismith on that. They're really on that. They don't care about none of the things that's going on, bro.
0:30:10
(Speaker 1)
They really play... They're playing more aggressive than Dort.
0:30:12
(Speaker 2)
For sure.
0:30:13
(Speaker 1)
I really think that and it's like, Dort, bro, I'm not saying go excuse to SGA. SGA needs to go out there and give 30, 30 plus. If he doesn't go out there and get 30, they're not winning the game.
0:30:31
(Speaker 2)
SGA need to be SGA, simple as that. Yeah, I'm not gonna say SGA shouldn't defend, but if you're gonna give him the role of defending and then being the main ball handler and having to create for others, he's just gonna get gassed every single time in the fourth quarter. So you gotta like, you just gotta find a secondary ball handler ASAP. And I think it's K-Saun, it's right there man.
0:30:50
(Speaker 2)
I don't know.
0:30:51
(Speaker 1)
Who you gotta win in game four?
0:30:54
(Speaker 2)
It's tough bro, it's actually tough cause like, I can't comfortably say like, Thunder even though they're say much better team, but. I'm not hedging that. Thunders winning, bro. Yeah. I'm not hedging nothing, bro. They better win, man. They better win. I think it's going seven.
0:31:09
(Speaker 1)
You think it's going seven?
0:31:10
(Speaker 2)
It's six.
0:31:11
(Speaker 1)
I had Thunders and six coming into the series, but.
0:31:14
(Speaker 2)
Might go seven, man.
0:31:15
(Speaker 1)
It looks tough right now. Yeah. who tying us up 2-2. It's just, they were better for three quarters yesterday and it just felt like they got gassed out. We gonna see how they shake back, but time and time again, they show us that after a loss that they're a really, really good team. And I'm just, I am gonna continue to believe
0:31:35
(Speaker 1)
in how good SGA is. And I think he gonna have a bounce back game, bro. We might need a 40 ball. It might be the 40 ball. I got the thunder's coming out of the classroom. Play him off the ball more, man.
0:31:45
(Speaker 2)
He gotta get off the ball more.
0:31:47
(Speaker 1)
What I know is this game gonna be special. I think it's gonna be a close one. You think this is gonna be a close one? I think this one gonna be a close one.
0:31:52
(Speaker 2)
Just don't let J-Dub touch the rock and the clutch, man.
0:31:54
(Speaker 1)
I'm sorry. bounce back after game four. Thanks for listening to Above the Board Podcast. It's your host, Kebron, checking out. You can follow me on Twitter at O2Bron and catch up with everything else. and catch up with everything else.
0:32:10
(Speaker 4)
Kebron.