00:00:14
What's going on, guys, It's more days. Lead.
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We're diving inside the bubble today. Nathan.
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How are you doing? I'm doing good.
00:00:24
We are. Let's see, today's 13.
00:00:26
So I think we are, like, nine days from the first scrimmage game.
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Sociable, excited about.
00:00:33
Wow, I'm fired up and we have some breaking news in from Shams.
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Um, since we don't have load, she was any break into his apparently victor or Depot is leading towards playing.
00:00:47
It looks really good in the last couple practices.
00:00:50
And, um, I don't can't give you an exact percentage, but, um, it would be a huge deal for the Eastern Conference playoff picture of people was playing.
00:01:02
What are your thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing just is Ah, you know, I think Indiana has somewhat exceeded expectations this year, Balcombe rocketed, traded.
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Our who signed away after being the Bucks for a couple of years, has had a fantastic season putting a really good numbers, really showing what he can dio as the primary ball handler, especially Aziz.
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He and Dante Sabonis have been running the pick and roll it.
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Sabonis was all star this year, so they've been doing really good.
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I think a lot of people expected the six years to pass them in the standings.
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Their tied record right now, Um, and also feel he has a pretty easy record.
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But I think this could be really interesting because we air Philadelphia places.
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Whether that's, you know, 56 or maybe even for could really determine their success.
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And now, you know, Indiana is not gonna be a pushover team that they're easily gonna be able to jump.
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You know, even if I was, you know, Miami Heat and I was playing the Pacers in the first round 45 seed.
00:02:03
It could be really interesting, Teoh.
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See what type of fight that India and I could put up because reports have said that, you know, the the Indiana front office.
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Uh, that victory led bows in fantastic shape right now.
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Although he did struggle a little bit.
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Um, as the season concluded.
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I mean, we haven't seen Depot play really a full season since 2017.
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But, um, you know, that year he was arguably a top 2025 player in the league, Just outstanding.
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I think he was first or second team all defense.
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In addition to being an almost first time All Star that a year just tremendous.
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Offensively, he was over 40 foot from behind the arc.
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Just looked like a like a bona fide All star that season and since we just haven't unforced had been able to see him all healthy.
00:02:53
But you think, if deeper was playing at that level in addition to Sabonis playing the way he has been in Braga playing the way he has been and it's you that the Pacers, you know, are a legitimate threat in the playoffs, not just team to brush inside and think they you know they might get lucky in the first round matchup.
00:03:10
But, um, fully healthy pastries team is right in the mix right alongside you in Miami, Philadelphia.
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I don't think they're quite on the level of walk your, um, in Toronto, but they're certainly in the mix for like the 3456 seats, though I'm is it as an N b A fan, I'm really hoping that Depot Doug play as in walking fan.
00:03:35
I want the road of these easy as possible.
00:03:38
Yeah, I mean I think another thing is you think about how they match up with certain teams, and I think you know between like having the anchored Myles Turner.
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But then also having the backcourt of Old Depot and brought bit.
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That's Ah could be a really formidable defensive friends.
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It is, even if they don't necessarily have locked down wing players.
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But I think that combination could be, you know, it would be a team that I would like that not necessarily.
00:04:03
One play in the playoffs, especially the Depo kind of wild card factor, was absolutely.
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And, you know, I think it's always more difficult.
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I can speak from experience.
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UM, 2018 Bucks, Celtics Siri's.
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When we were game planning for a team with a healthy Kyrie, they ended up throwing rookie Jason Tatum out of stereotype.
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Yeah, came out and for the most part, you know, dominated at least their home games that Siri's.
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And although the bunks took them to sub and it really probably should have ended earlier than that, every game that they played at home, they just absolutely dominated.
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But in the playoffs, when you are game planning for a A strict rotation.
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They have throwing a wild card.
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You know, Please be, um, difficult to adjust to that.
00:04:52
And, you know, well, I guess we'll see what happens.
00:04:56
But again, what you said Yeah, I also think like another interesting aspect with this news is just, you know, we haven't We've heard about a couple of players, often not to play.
00:05:07
But the fact that Oladipo went to the bubble despite not intending to play and then is ah, you know, like, now considering playing kind of.
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I think, you know, if he ends up playing that kind of stuff the president for other players that, you know, maybe if they often not not the play, you know, they could potentially come back and change their mind or s.
00:05:27
So I think that's just very interesting to see how the India is kind of responding toe kind of the fluid fluidity of this whole weird bubble situation.
00:05:37
Yeah, So there's players that go there and they initially thought they're not gonna play now.
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They might and on the other and the things we have players such as Bruno Koboko, who goes there with the intention of playing and it advert neatly breaks the bubble, which, if you ask me, it seems highly questionable considering the precautionary measures that are put in place.
00:05:59
I'm sure they're warmed, worn by embassy staff along with team stuff, exactly what these measures were.
00:06:07
And so I don't buy the whole He inadvertently broke the bubble.
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I think he intentionally knew what he was doing.
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One out of his room.
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Try tiptoeing around 1/4 and suck all there on the phone about of sober snitch.
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Kurt Fall calling in telling them that Bruno is out of his room.
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I don't I don't buy that inadvertently that I think I think it's bull****.
00:06:28
Um, what do you think? Um, honestly, I'm not I'm not too sure Just the rules.
00:06:34
The rules seem very interesting right now, like I know they have.
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You know, the ring that there's almost aware that the sensors that will kind of detect if they're close together.
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We've seen plenty of footage of players being very close to each other.
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And, you know, this is only the first couple days.
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I feel like players be growing more and more hungry, toe slowly, break the rules, or just kind of unaware that they're not great from the rules.
00:06:55
So, um, you know, I think this whole situation is kind of funny, but I hope hopefully they're the bubble kind of close up.
00:07:03
You know, even if they're kind of not on their best behavior within the bubble.
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But there's not really too many outside the started.
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I mean, I think for teams that are on the edge of making the playoffs or teams, there's lower seeds.
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It's gonna be a difficult expected from those role players to, uh, you know, obey these guidelines.
00:07:24
We saw Sean Holmes now Corentin of the next 10 days because he ordered a pizza or some ****.
00:07:30
Um, you know, I think, um, someone try thing up, but the Instagram model or a Twitter model? I saw your Donovan Mitchell.
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My su****ion is that it's mine trust arrow.
00:07:43
But I don't know, man, something inside the bubble really needs to exercise some physical, some carnal physical energy.
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And, uh, you know, I think that's a Lincoln going to continue to be a problem.
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Stephen a mentioned during one of his, uh, rants on first.
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Take that thing.
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These players, you know, they need to look but that energy out somewhere there on the quarter off it.
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So, um, it's gonna be more difficult as the playoffs go on for some of these guys to obey these restrictions.
00:08:15
Oh, things, Billy.
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I'm feeling much better than thank you for checking in on me, man, But, um, other news regarding rockets is Westbrook tested positive? He is supposed to join his team within the next two weeks after he's cleared.
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What do you think is worse, Case An area for the rockets that they have to start without.
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And what do you see? It, um, the line up being, if you know, they have a situation where he's not able to join the team at the expected time line.
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So I think when I first heard this news, I didn't think it was as big of a deal.
00:08:52
But now, more thinking like thinking about it a little more so, like the first.
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You know, the first, uh, was called the first scrimmage.
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Games are in nine days from now.
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So, like supposing Westbrook quarantines for two weeks after this, he's gonna miss all the, um, all those games is pretty unfortunate, because I'm sure if you would have kind of wanted that warm up.
00:09:13
And Houston sits at six right now.
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That's tied for fifth place with O.
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And within striking distance of Utah and, uh, Denver.
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So I you know every game really could count in terms seeding.
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So I think that's not a deal for them, but kind of answer your question.
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You know, I think James Harden is Aziz after anybody who will kind of take over the point guard role and e not playing not point guard, but being what kind of slide in that role.
00:09:40
So I don't think they will have a huge problem with that.
00:09:42
But another thing note is that hard and I don't believe has its the bubble yet.
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And it's interesting that a couple star players have nod.
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Let's not yet gone to the bubble.
00:09:55
Uh, you know, it makes you wonder if the perhaps any health concerns with James hearted right now, but you know, that's only speculation.
00:10:03
But yeah, I think the harmful for teams like the Rockets that not have I run there.
00:10:09
There's certainly concerns with the heart and has been at the clubs.
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I don't know if that's just speculation MBA Twitter means, But you know, there again, I want to back that these players, you know, during the regular season and in the playoffs.
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Still, some of them love off court fun and engaged.
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And, um, you know, Jordan was known to even goto Vegas during the playoffs to party and hard.
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It's the same way.
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And you know, these guys getting cooped up is not gonna be idea.
00:10:47
So especially for a guy like Harder who's known hit the club scene from time gone.
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I'm sure you guys have seen the Reddit post in which someone did a a correlation.
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I'll study of hardened at various city strip club CNES.
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And there was it there was an inverse relationship between the the club quality and display their scoring average.
00:11:11
Was that what it was? Yeah, yeah, the bigger the city.
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Uh, you know, the Miami is and so of the world's scoring average went down so kind of the first people headed out of the club scene.
00:11:28
Yeah. Oh, man. But yeah.
00:11:33
Uh um it's somewhere on these guys to obey these guidelines.
00:11:37
Um, it's terms of the hotline.
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I think Sham said it.
00:11:43
The hotline has not been used yet, So Chris Paul has been on his best behavior