From My Perspective
From my perspective is the latest sports podcast from Mixed Vibez Media. Deion and Mr. Bell gives you the honest and raw sports takes from the everyday fan. We say what everyone is thinking in a entertaining form. We will have guest and other members of the Mixed Vibez team. Also reporters who are associated with the teams you love. Welcome to the Team.
From My Perspective
Masters Victory, NBA Playoffs, and College Sports NIL Drama
Sports keeps delivering incredible moments from McIlroy's redemptive Masters victory to college athletes navigating the complexities of NIL deals and transfers. The NBA Play-In Tournament brings high-stakes basketball while the WNBA Draft introduces new stars ready to transform the league.
• Rory McIlroy finally secures his career Grand Slam with Masters victory after 11-year pursuit
• McIlroy overcame pressure and near-chokes to win in a playoff, joining an elite club of Grand Slam champions
• Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava's $4 million salary demand backfires, forcing him to transfer for significantly less money
• College athletes increasingly focus on financial opportunities while sacrificing educational benefits
• WNBA Draft brings attention to young international talents potentially locking into contracts before 2025 media rights deal
• NBA Play-In Tournament delivers high-intensity basketball, particularly Warriors-Grizzlies thriller
• NBA Awards predictions: JB Bickerstaff for Coach of the Year, Cade Cunningham for Most Improved Player
• MVP debate centers on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nikola Jokić's historic triple-double season
Please like and subscribe to our podcast, as well as Distant Combos with KMS and the Mixed Fast Podcast. Drop your award predictions in the comments!
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welcome, welcome, welcome back for another episode of. From my perspective, we are hitting you guys with a turkey. That's three in a row, but I'm your boy, dan. Thank you again for joining us. Please like, please subscribe. And just want to get that out of the way, captain. Hey the q. How's it going, man? You're another bastard boy.
Speaker 2:Mr pale, I can't say your name up on the spot, might not put you to mock. Hey, we putting in work, I didn't even go to you. We putting in some work today.
Speaker 1:A lot of work, man, we putting in work. You know who else put in some work on Sunday? That man, greg McIlroy, winning the Masters, getting that green shirt, and now he's a Grand Slam champion, believe it or not. Know Tiger's one. And I know Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson yep, you wanted to talk about the Masters. Man, I'm not a big golf guy, especially since Tiger is no longer Tiger. I want to learn how to play golf, but that stuff is hard. Your thoughts, man? I'm Roy, grand Slam champion.
Speaker 2:Let me give you these other names Gene Sarzen, ben Hogan, which I heard of. Gary Player I heard of him, of course Jack Nicholas, tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Rory got his name. So the reason I wanted to talk about the Masters was because you know one, we can put it in the bio so that you know we one, we can put it in the bio. So, like you know, we talk about other stuff too.
Speaker 2:I was kind of watching. I've been watching hockey a little earlier. I might get some playoff predictions in the upcoming episode. You never know. You know what I'm saying, but I watched them.
Speaker 2:I'm a majors watcher and I watch it in summertime, sundays. If there ain't nothing else on, I click on it. You know, have it play in the background, watch a couple shots here and there. So I do watch a golfer a little bit. I'm not saying I'm on the golf channel on Thursdays watching the first rounds of the Texas Open, you know what I mean. But I do watch the Grand Slams and whatnot.
Speaker 2:And the reason I want to talk about this one was because Rory finally got over the hump. And the reason I want to talk about this one was because Rory finally got over the hump. They said the people that had won the Grand Slam. Grand Slam, they won it within three years of winning. So they won that third one Within three years. They finally won the fourth one. Rory was going on Euro like trying to, you know, capture the Grand Slam. Why do you say Slam? Like I'm talking about Young Thug, what am I doing? Slam Going on year 11. I also watched him. I'm watching him. Bro was up 14-10. Next thing I know he was tied. Bro would start bogeying holes and double bogeying and he's hitting shots that you know your average player would hit, not a guy who has won three majors. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:He was getting tight, man he felt it.
Speaker 2:He was choking. When I said we was going to talk about this, I was thinking in my head like man, we're going to end up talking about one of the greatest chokes of all time. He had it and he lost it. But then somehow he brought it back and then Bogey on 18, so he did have to go to the playoff. So he choked it once, came back, choked it again but still won it Once he went to the playoffs. Brian, ain't gonna lie to you.
Speaker 2:I just knew he was gonna lose Because I feel, like his mind frame would have been fried, don't you think?
Speaker 1:No, I thought when it went to the playoffs, because when it started to get to the end and they was talking about how tight it was, I clicked on it, looked at it and then I saw he went to the playoffs. When he went to the playoffs I was like, oh man, I think he going to fumble it. I thought he was going to fumble Because he had it lost it then had it again. I thought, oh, he's done. But that shows just how mentally tough he is, because most human beings, even though when it got to that playoffs they would have fumbled it.
Speaker 2:They would have. And Justin Rose came in, he put up. He was like hey, I'm not going. Basically I ain't going to let you run away with this tournament, I'm going to make you work for it. And he made Rory work for it, so I won't give a shout out to Justin Rose. He even put it in the position to go to a playoffs. But I really thought.
Speaker 1:I ain't going to lie.
Speaker 2:When they said they was going to play us. I really thought Rory was going to choke it away, and then my question was if he lost it this time.
Speaker 1:He wasn't going to get it.
Speaker 2:That's what I was thinking, dog. I was like he's not going to get it, it's not going to happen, because this was your opportunity, this was the one. But he did so I wanted to shout him out like, hey man, congratulations, you got that. And I also think he's good for golf. It's something I wanted to touch on, because so many of those players went to live. They took the money, they went over to live and they live in a nice life. You know what I'm?
Speaker 1:saying no pun intended.
Speaker 2:They live in a nice life because they got a nice paycheck. R living a nice life. You know what I'm saying. No pun intended. They living a nice life because they got a nice paycheck. Rory stayed and was the face. Rory was the face of the PGA, him and Tiger, but more so him, because Tiger stayed hurt. Tiger would come back for a day and be like you know what His back is twicking again. I gotta go it back me something. Most of the time it's the back here, but something hurt. Rory stayed and he was the face of the league and he took all the punches and he was throwing the punches back, trying to save this league. They even started the TGL, the simulator golf. I watched that a little bit too because again it was on during the week, bro.
Speaker 2:It wasn't enough. I find some sports related to watch so they did all of that. But then he took so many shots and so many people was nitpicking on the stuff that he was saying that he had to take a step back from you know being the face and was like, hey, somebody else, you know, let somebody else run. But all that he's been through from his personal life because he got a relationship situation that we're not going to touch on. He looks very interesting. Life that way is what's going on right now too. But as far as that, the PGA stuff being chased in the Masters because that's the one it's in the same spot every year. It's in Augusta, georgia, at this every year All the other majors they move around. It's a different course. The US Open will be in Louisville. Sometimes it moves around. The Masters is the same course. You know this course because you've been playing it so many times and this is the one that you needed and I'm glad that you finally got it Shout out to him.
Speaker 1:He must have learned you can't really be considered one to go to unless you got a grand slam in golf.
Speaker 1:From my perspective, yeah got to, got to, so he's got it. He can be. He's in that conversation with those other men. Hey, just go out and do it, win you some more Masters man. But you at that seat now, roy, congratulations, you deserve it. That green jacket, look good on you let's talk about. Let's go ahead and move over to some other news that happened last week. Not very good news though we are going to have. Eventually. We put it off last summer Eventually we are going to have an extensive conversation about this NIL and college sports.
Speaker 1:It has gotten ridiculous, but we have a guy who I don't even know how to put it, but let me just go ahead and say it Nico, the quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers last season. Apparently it goes back to last December where he was telling Tennessee hey, I need some more bread. Apparently there was word on the street that he was like I signed to play 12 games, maybe a 13 game if we play in the conference championship. I ain't signed up for this college football playoffs, which is nonsense. You signed up to play a season the college football playoff is part of the season but apparently he was making about $2 million and I've heard he doesn't have an agent. I've heard his representation has been his dad. Apparently he wanted to make $4 million. Supposedly he went to Tennessee hey, I need like $4 million. Tennessee was like you was cool, you was good, you wasn't trash, but you wasn't $4 million good. And apparently he wanted $4 million because Carson Beck, former Georgia quarterback, got $4 million good. And apparently he wanted $4 million because Carson Beck, former Georgia quarterback, got $4 million. Now, before we get a little bit more into it, I understand why you saw Carson Beck like that man making $4 million.
Speaker 1:Carson Beck was not great last season. But the difference between Carson Beck and Nico, from my perspective, is Carson Beck. He at least had a good season the season prior. He's got him a ring, I think. I believe. Pretty sure he does, pretty sure he does. Let me check on that one. But Carson Beck, he is a commodity. He might not have been very good last season. Some people just have bad season. Would I have paid Carson Beck $4 million? No, but I understand Miami why they did it. They needed a quarterback.
Speaker 2:Carson Beck is getting a lot of shade. I can't help but laugh. Carson Beck is getting a lot of shade. I feel, where he was going, but damn, you have to run that man over that many times bro.
Speaker 1:He's a good quarterback. He's going to be good for Monday. He's going to be good for Monday. Damn, you want to say he's a good quarterback.
Speaker 2:I said he was good, he just had a bad season last year. It wasn't great. You ran that man over with the Bucs four times. You ran him over, backed up and then thought you left something Like. Ain't nothing left down there, dog, leave that man alone.
Speaker 1:You know what? Yeah, let me go ahead and slide this bus over to Nico, dog, let me go ahead and slide the bus over to Nico. But apparently he went to Tennessee and I won $4 million. Tennessee was like nah, dog, you was cool, you wasn't that good. And apparently he was like I'm due, cool. He left. No, there's words that Tennessee kicked him off. There's words that he's like I'm done Pretty much. He left. He entered the transfer portal.
Speaker 1:It's been reported. It's not a done deal, but it's UCLA it looks like it's UCLA or nobody. A lot of teams Tulane said no, I'm good. Unc said no, I'm good. They just picked up a quarterback in the transfer portal. But the man wanted $4 million. And what's crazy about it? Assuming he does go to UCLA and I saw this tweet they are going to give him significantly less than what he was originally making at Tennessee. He's going to be making a meal, but with taxes he's going to be making like $900,000. Texas, he's going to be making like $900,000. So your representation costs you at least what? $30,000, $50,000 at least, maybe more? Yeah, you probably could have got a raise.
Speaker 1:You wasn't going to get a $4 million raise. You probably could have got to like $2.5 or something, $2.8, something around there. It's just crazy. He's got all. It looks like he's got a home. I was assuming that college football might try to blackball him because of this nonsense. I'm surprised they didn't, because they had the power to do so. He couldn't go to any SEC schools, but it was a lot. I mean, I said a lot. Q. Give me your thoughts on Nico man.
Speaker 2:Hey, carson Beck won two championships 2001, 2002. He played, he only played. 2001, he only played four games. 2002, he played seven games, but those is like backup stats. So when he was the main quarterback, no, he did not win, but he does have two. So with the Nico situation, bro the Nico the back, no, he did not win, but he does have two. So with the Nico situation, bro the Nico did this backwards, right, he went to the boss. He basically went to the bosses and said I got another offer, I'm going to get four million. Like, I'm going to bully y'all into four. Well, I'm not saying I got another offer, I'm going to bully y'all into giving me for me because of who I am, without actually not having another offer. You can't ask for a $2 million pay raise. You can't ask for a $2 million pay raise unless you got somebody else offering you that money.
Speaker 2:Yep that's why Durr. So I was listening to a podcast shout out Bo Manny Johnson. He was talking about how it's barely enough good NFL agents to represent all the good NFL players, all the NFL players. So now you add on the college too. There's definitely not enough. He got bad advice. I don't know if it was from his father. I don't know if it was from his father. I don't know if it was from maybe he had somebody in his ear. Whatever it was, he got bad advice. Somebody told him wrong. If you're going to ask for a $2 million pay raise, you better have somebody else that's about to give you that $2 million pay raise, or at least something close to it, so you can have some type of leverage. You went into this situation without no leverage. Nico had no leverage and then tried to bully Tennessee into giving him $4 million a year.
Speaker 1:Also, you got to make sure you got the stats and the tape to back it up because, like I said, he was cool, wasn't bad.
Speaker 2:He started out high too, but he tapered off. Yeah, so you're going. He started out high too, but he tapered off, so you're going to do that situation. But let's be real, that's what's wrong with where college athletics is now. Like you said, we keep pushing this conversation. We're going to have to have this conversation this summer. It's cool for the players to get paid. They deserve to get paid. I do think at some point you're going to have to put a title. It's going to have to be a. Do think at some point you're going to have to put a title.
Speaker 1:It's going to have to be a salary cap. At some point I tweeted out I believe this is going to be the start of the Brexit campaign. It's going to change something. Salary cap, I think we're going to more so. Get contract links. I think you tied in for two years, Bob, I'm tired of you tied in.
Speaker 2:And that's the thing. Everybody compares it to the coaches Like because I'm I'm my biggest one of my, not even necessarily the money. My biggest issue more is the transport portal, but, like I said so many times on this podcast, where it's a simple fact, dudes is going to four schools in four years trying get playing time or get more money. Bruh, go get a college degree, because them things ain't cheap. Man, my dog, them things ain't cheap. Go get a college degree. Use this opportunity to go get a college degree because you don't win support at the schools and you still not going pro.
Speaker 1:You know the credits be set every time you go. You lose a bunch of credits every time you go to a different school, especially in football. There's no time you go. You lose a bunch of credits every time you go to a different school.
Speaker 2:Now you ain't. Let me tell you something, especially in football. There's no other league. Yeah, the AFL, the XFL, now UXFL, ufl, I don't know. Yeah, it's UFL now, hey, look, ain't no other league besides the NFL. For real, at least in basketball you can go overseas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, make a good living, let's people make good livings.
Speaker 2:There's some dudes out here flying females out every weekend because they're making money over in Italy and China. There's money out there In basketball. You can do it. You can't do that in football. The transfer portal they need to put roots down somewhere. The transfer portal is hurting. They're transferring every year. Nil's got people thinking also, I'm going to move from school to school to school to get more money. Okay, cool, once you get that money, your playing career is done. What you going to do? Some of these dudes are transferring from Arkansas to Tennessee or from Ole Miss to Nevada or something like that. These schools are paying you. You know what I mean? You get paid at every school. It can't be that much more money. It can't be.
Speaker 1:It can't be. And it's good money, it's a good amount of life, it's life-changing money, but it's not generational wealth money. You ain't getting that until you get to the NFL. You can't get money A million. I'm assuming these guys are smart For real. There's not a lot of people making a million. Most of them is making like $600,000, $800,000, somewhere around that range, depending on where you are. You elite quarterbacks, you getting in the millions, you elite players. Homie over there at Ohio State, jeremiah Smith, I know he making at least a million, probably more because he's that dude. But a lot of them guys, they're only making like a couple hundred thousand dollars. That's not life-changing money. That money's gone in a blink of an eye. Y'all buying them scat packs, y'all buying them dime charges. That money's gone. So I mean they're not making a lot of changes, but they do need to fix this transfer. The transfer portal is probably more the issue. They need to lock and rein it in a little bit more.
Speaker 1:I have my ideas. We'll talk about that in the summer. How they can rein it in the NIL is just so wild, because when it first came out I'm thinking, oh, they're going to be able to get on some commercials. When people buy their jerseys, they're going to get a little kickback from their jersey sales. Maybe do a little promotional on campus or something like that. Be on the billboard. I see players on billboards here and there. It's basically pay to play, that's all. It is pay to play. They ain't doing no commercials. They don't have to do much. They just give me that $800,000 and I'll come, they come. I just thought they was going to be able to do commercials, get a little kickback from their jerseys. That's how I saw it was coming. Ea Sports is going to give them a little breath to put them in the game. That's what I thought it was going to be, but it's not what I thought. They changed it. It's a different world out there.
Speaker 2:But these dudes ain't even going to school. They're not even going to school, bro, Like that's the whole thing. Yeah, Like which match. Back in the 2000s, you know they was getting passed anyway, Like North Carolina, A lot of them basketball players got passed. They wasn't actually going to class. At least they stayed on campus for two, three years so they could at least fake that they got a degree. These dudes can't even fake like they got a degree.
Speaker 1:If anything, they was just taking those cheat classes. No, they was taking some cheat classes, easy A classes, getting that degree? Hey, they got a degree. I ain't mad at them, shoot. I don't know, but speaking of people that got degrees and they are forced to stay for a long time, women college basketball the NBA draft was there. That's one thing I feel like they need to change that. I don't necessarily understand why they have to stay what? Three years? I don't necessarily understand why they have to stay three years.
Speaker 2:Well, currently it makes more sense, Like we talked about last week.
Speaker 1:It makes more sense now.
Speaker 2:Financially, because they make it more.
Speaker 1:Financially it makes more sense. But I just you know men they can leave one and done. I don't know Whenever they get that new revenue share contract, they probably should change that. But let's go to 2025 WMA draft. We knew who was going to be first. It was like she. We knew I hope she already got her apartment or house together because she had plenty of time to look for it. She knew where she was going. You can know she was going out here. Dominique she went to Seattle. Sonia went to Washington. Kiki also went to Washington. Josti I want to give a shout out to her because she is the Golden State Valkyries' first ever draft pick. Hopefully you become a nice little special player for them because, being someone's first, they never remember the person that came in second, but they do remember that person that came in first. So you're the first. Georgia Amor went to Washington. Anissa Morrow she went to Connecticut. Sonya Rivers she also went to Connecticut. Sarah Ashley Baker went to the Sparks.
Speaker 2:Asia Saka If I butcher these names, I'm extremely bad You're doing better than me, because a lot of these I wouldn't even try.
Speaker 1:Chicago Baby Durant. She also went to Chicago teaming back up with her former teammate in Angel Reese and Cadoza and Azea James. She went to Chicago teaming back up with her former teammate and Angel Reese and Cadoza and Isaiah James. She went to Dallas Wing. So that was the first round. Any thoughts to the first round? You know how you feeling.
Speaker 2:Okay. So my first thought like you said, no disrespect to Paige. We all knew Paige was going to be number one. We've been saying Paige was going to be number one since the end of the last season for the WNBA. We knew Paige was going to be number one. We've been saying Paige was going to be number one since the end of the last season for the WNBA. We knew Paige was going to be number one. So shout out to Paige. Congratulations to Paige. Cool. Let's go to this Dominique young lady. I want to tape on her. Of course, watch on YouTube. When I say I want to tape, watch on YouTube. Yo, she already got game. She's nice. She's nice, she's gay Dope Gang. I think she's going to be something special. My question is she's 19. She could have either stayed overseas or went to college for a year or two and made more money. The same thing with the young lady that the backer. Same thing with the young lady that the back of the overseas Justy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as we don't go with Justy. So Dominique and Justy, I don't understand why neither. Why they came this year? Because now they locked into contracts I think the rookie contracts like three years and the new CBA keeps saying next year, dog Should have waited that one year, bruh, how did they? What did they say? Out of 120-some players, 105 is free agents next year. Basically, the only people that's under contract is people, women who came in the league that's still on their rookie contract. That's it. That's the only women that's not going to be a free agent next year when the new TV money kick in. So I don't understand why they can't miss her. Back to the Nico situation down in Tennessee when he tried to hold them for ransom. I think these two young ladies, young women, I feel like they got bad advice or maybe it just was time for them to come over, but I feel like both of them could have went to college for like a year or two and made so much more money.
Speaker 1:You're absolutely right. That's a good amount of women. Olivia, she was from Notre Dame. She could have went out. She was supposed to be the second overall pick. She stayed thinking about hey, that revenue shirt is coming. That means the rookie contract is going to be a little bit higher next year. Go ahead and get one more year in college. Get this little NIL money and come to the NBA. Come to the WNBA when they're giving us some real money. You're absolutely right. I was. I did. Dominique. She is a very skilled woman. She's the 6'6 woman. Somebody tweeted I forget who tweeted it, but somebody said cause there was a clip of her basically doing some Hakeem stuff. She pulls up nice little spin, move, drop, step dunk. Oh god, she drop, step dunk. When they start making them like this. I don't think they made them like this since Candice Parker. But somebody tweeted to dunk when they start making them like this. I don't think they made them like this since Candice Parker. Somebody tweeted please, lord, don't let me be the first WNBA player to get dunked on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's something she could dunk Like real deal. She's going to be nice. I just don't understand why she can't initiate that's all.
Speaker 1:Maybe an Asian can finesse an option on that third year or something. I doubt it because usually these rookie contracts is locked and solid. You get what you get and you better not throw a fit.
Speaker 2:They're not giving her no option.
Speaker 1:She locked in. She locked in. So Indiana Fever did not have a first round pick. I believe they had a second round. Lord forgive me, I've been looking for the second round draft order. I didn't watch the second round, I watched the first round.
Speaker 2:I ain't going to lie.
Speaker 1:I watched the whole. Thing.
Speaker 2:It's not a Captain Hater moment, but it is something I do want to say. I don't understand why there are so many. There's three rounds. I don't understand why there's three rounds when most of these women that get drafted they might not make their team's roster anyway. Like the Mystic had three first round picks, which is crazy. They had third, four and six and then they had picks in the second and third round. They're not even going to make the roster. So I don't understand why they have three. The NBA don't even have three rounds.
Speaker 1:They got two.
Speaker 2:So hopefully and I only say that because these women get drafted and then they don't get picked up by the team the WNBA is expanding, but I don't think it's still going to be expanding enough because there's enough talented women, Because now you've got all these women from overseas as well, that's coming into the American pool as well. I don't know. I think they should have another team. I know they got people on the next year. I think they should have another one.
Speaker 1:They're up to 12. I think that sweet spot is probably 15. Yeah 15.
Speaker 2:Y'all can go to 16 if y'all want to keep it. Even I respect it. I know they're going to Toronto and I know they're going to Portland.
Speaker 1:And then there's been talks about them going to Tennessee somewhere.
Speaker 2:Tennessee. I heard Cleveland. I heard Houston wants their team back. I'm going to keep throwing my vote in for Louisville. I'm going to keep saying that over and over again we can handle a WNBA team. Yes, we can. I'm just saying from my perspective.
Speaker 1:I feel like we can handle a WNBA game. We got multiple arenas. If y'all want to let them play in the Yonge Center. We got the Freedom Hall. Nobody playing in it the University of Bellarmine who was playing in it. They didn't want to pay the rent, no more. They went back to their own campus arena.
Speaker 2:That's what it was. They didn't want to pay the rent, no more.
Speaker 1:I think that's what it is. I'm pretty sure that's what it was, but what I was told? The rent didn't seem like it was worth it and they felt like the atmosphere in Knights Hall was better. Anyways, for their, they're still an up-and-coming Division I team Is.
Speaker 2:Knights Hall big enough. Okay, I'm up there, we'll talk about that later.
Speaker 1:But we got Freedom Hall. Ain't nobody there? I mean, we got a couple other arenas around Robin Arena.
Speaker 2:I mean you probably don't want to go in there, I'm sorry to say no, that's more of a circus arena. We got spaces for y'all. Y'all can come on down, yeah, but yeah, the Yums Center right the river. Come on, man who had the best man. Come on, quit playing with us.
Speaker 1:Quit playing with us. It's better than a lot of NBA arenas.
Speaker 2:And the river went down, so ain't no water down there.
Speaker 1:They don't have a head out there. Y'all good, y'all good, come on down, come on down and holler at us, but yeah, so your Indiana fever. Though how you feel about who they took and how you feel about the season, you know Caitlin Clark, she, you know she, the face, she's a star. Do you think they got it? Can make a run for that WBA championship.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do think, and I think we're going to win it.
Speaker 1:Look at right now.
Speaker 2:I'm saying it right now. Look at right now. It's just me and it might be a homework. I wish we had to pick up Jada Curry. I was surprised Jada Curry did not get drafted, especially coming off that last performance she had in the NCAA tournament, dropping 40-something points. She got the game. She got the office of five power to get drafted. I think she deserved to be on the roster and I wish we had picked her up.
Speaker 1:It would have been nice. I support any Cardinal. If you're a Cardinal once, Cardinal forever. That applies to most people. There's a few people out there that it doesn't apply to. There is a few, there is a few, but speaking of a few, Chicago, Chicago Sky, they did pick up one of those people that is no longer a Cardinal forever. How do you feel about that addition with her former teammates Angel Reese and Miss Cadosa?
Speaker 2:Man. Shout out to Angel Reese for buying the house, and they was hating on the time that she couldn't pay a rent when she owned her crib, so by then she retired her mom. The way I was running y'all mouth and shout out to Cadosa, because you know, I love me, some Cadosa. I love me, some Cadosa. I know you asked about asserting somebody. That's all I got to say. Shout out to Angel Reese. Shout out to Cadosa. Follow Cadosa on Instagram. Shout out to her. Yeah, there's that.
Speaker 1:There's that If I ever make it up to Chicago hopefully I want to try I will try to catch me a Chicago Sky game because, hey, I'm just going to say it, I want to go to an NFL game. But them tickets boy, them tickets boy.
Speaker 2:You see where I was in there when I went. You see where I was in when I went. You see where I was at. We was up there. We wasn't at the top top, but we was on the second row up top. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Hey, you was talking to Eddie up there man we was having a good old conversation. Yeah, I feel you Shout out to Eddie girl. But yeah, that Paige Buckers and Kaitlin Clark don't take it them tickets was crazy. When I looked at them I'm like, oh Lord, have mercy, I wouldn't go to Indiana Fever game. It was right there, right there, they got the money. They got the money right there. I understand why it was expensive. I'm just not about to pay it personally.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to slide man. I'm going to try to get to one in here. I.
Speaker 1:I think I'm going to slide man, I'm going to try to get to one in a shirt I might try, I'm going to be up there with Eddie though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm for sure going to be up there, without question.
Speaker 1:So let's go ahead and go slide to the NBA. Shout out to those women that got drafted Y'all reached the pinnacle, but it's not over with yet. Y'all got to stay there, especially in the WNBA, where spots is limited. You got to fight for your spots each and every day as more rookies coming in as veterans overseas. They want to come back, and y'all got to hate. The grind has just started for the women that just got drafted. Congratulations to y'all. It's just the beginning, though. Let's go ahead and start to the NBA, where they're coming to the conclusion of their season and we have the play-in games Now.
Speaker 1:We talked a little bit before the pod, you know, about the play-in. I tweeted it. Man, I love the play-in. I feel like it was one of the best things Adam Server has done. I'm sure I don't know if it was his idea fully, but one of the best things ever.
Speaker 1:I would never complain about a basketball game with stakes. I've always been a hater of the seven game series games Because all the games feel like it's got the same intensity. These playing games got intensity the Golden State Warriors versus the Memphis Grizzlies. It was intense. It was all get out and I enjoyed every second of it. I was up until I think the game and then, like 1.30, I was up watching the whole game. Great game go to State Warriors. They advanced. They're going to play the Houston Rockets, memphis Grizzlies. They are fighting for their lives against the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow or today, depending on when you're listening to this. I did watch the Mavericks versus the Kings. It wasn't a close game, unfortunately. I did watch the Heat versus the Bulls. The Bulls looked like they had their Cancun trips booked. They didn't pick that one shorty they was going to take. They didn't look like they were ready.
Speaker 2:They was ready.
Speaker 1:They was ready. Heat, they showed out, they beat the Bulls. And then the other one was the Hawks and Magic. I honestly did not watch that one but it was a blowout. But I did watch the one good one. I did watch the one good one, but I need your thoughts on the play-in. Apparently you hate on the play-in and what's your thoughts on the play-in? Apparently you hate on the play-in and what's your thoughts on the play-in in general and the variance that we've had.
Speaker 2:Okay. So it's not that I hate the play-in. I hate that it's 20 teams and it's only 30 teams in the league. If there was a play-in and it was like 38 teams or 36 teams, 34 teams, I think it would make sense. But two-thirds of the league has the potential to be in the playoffs. I don't think that's how it should work. That's where my I like the play-in perspective. I just don't think 20 teams should be in the playoffs. I get that. It makes you know it keeps fan bases engaged throughout the entire year because they want to, you want to create parity or whatever, but I don't think 13 should be making it. I also think the first one should be seven games, but we talked about that last week. That's my issue.
Speaker 2:So you talk about the Chicago game. I want the Chicago and Orlando game. I watched it. Orlando was smacking them. Up Atlanta came back. I said Chicago, my bad Orlando. And up Atlanta came back. I said Chicago, my bad Orlando and Atlanta. Atlanta came back, but next thing it was like a three-point game. Next thing I know it's back to 15-18. I don't understand. Then I see Detroit get kicked out. They will get ejected. I don't understand how Atlanta let it get ballooned to that again. But of course I think Orlando is going to win the next game. But whoever wins these eight games, they're going to lose in the first round. Cleveland is going to smack them up. They'll probably be a sweep. Oklahoma City is going to sweep the Memphis and Golden State game for Golden State to be up 20 at one point and Memphis to be able to come back. I don't know if that says more about Memphis or what does that say about Golden State? That's my question, and I also got a question on why Jonathan Taminga is not playing.
Speaker 1:I got that question too.
Speaker 2:Steve, go ahead let me ask you, because this is what came to my mind. You know me, a lot of stuff comes back to money. Stuff comes back to money. His contract is going to be up. His rookie contract is going to be up. He's looking for a payday. Do you think they're trying to keep him but decrease his payday?
Speaker 1:That is very possible, very possible, man. I don't think they're going to be smart. That is very possible, very possible. Man Moody, I mean he's cool, but Jonathan Kaminga is one of the most athletic people on their team right now.
Speaker 2:He can defend yeah, you need that, but Moody defends. That's what Moody does. Moody defends and he's that corner. Third, jonathan Kaminga.
Speaker 1:Jonathan Kaminga needs the ball you think Jimmy Butler being on the team affects that a little bit too.
Speaker 2:I think so, but I think Jimmy could work with him, work around him.
Speaker 1:Jimmy Butler. He was very ball-dominant in that game. I've watched the Warriors here and there since they picked up Jimmy. I literally sat down and watched the Warriors the whole game. This time he's basically the point guard he is. He's basically the point guard for the team, which not a bad decision to make playoff Jimmy a point guard. He went off as usual, but that means playoff Jimmy. He'd be lackluster through the regular season. Puts on the Superman cape when his play on the top. So I mean what he does. It's what he does though.
Speaker 2:He right, it's what he do, but I think it works out for him. I think they missing a piece. As far as going to state, I do think I think I'm going to pick them to beat Houston, but… I think they're missing a piece, but I don't really know what that piece is.
Speaker 1:If that makes sense, yeah, so I mean it's tough, man, because they got a lot. They got a lot of pieces. Do they Come on, maybe a big? I mean I like the team. I mean they've been one of the best teams since the trade deadline, with the Jimmy Weller additions.
Speaker 1:It's just something does seem off Like y'all missing something. I can't put my finger on it. I don't know if it's a big, I don't know if it's maybe another corner ball shooter. It's tough. They're going to figure it out, though I think again. I think they'll beat Houston. I thought while I was watching this game I was like this is a must-win game for both teams, because you do not want to go see LKC in that first round, you want to go see the young pups in Houston, because I bet both these teams could have gave Houston a run for their money. I feel like the Warriors can beat Houston. I wasn't so sure about Grizzlies. I mean they got an interim head coach who you know he looked kind of like. He looked kind of, you know, iffy, and before we move on, you know five seconds with the game on the line you get a five-second violation call With Steph Curry the one on the ball, that's the other crazy part.
Speaker 2:Steph Curry was the one on the ball.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that one made absolutely zero sense to me. But they get another chance as they play the Dallas Mavericks. I mean, yeah, they play the Dallas Mavericks and that game's tomorrow. So it's the Heat versus the Atlanta Hawks, dallas Mavericks versus the Grizzlies. The Heat Hawks they will punch their ticket to go play the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Mavericks Grizzlies will punch their ticket to go play OKC.
Speaker 2:Who you getting in those two games. I was about to say, brett, do another, because take that to get swelled. I'm going to go Memphis, I'm going to go Atlanta. I'm going to go Memphis, I'm going to go Atlanta, and I think John did turn his ankle, though you know what?
Speaker 1:I take that back.
Speaker 2:I'm going Dallas.
Speaker 1:I got Heat and I got Memphis. The Heat look like they ready for primetime, even though they not gonna beat the Cavs. But this is what they been there so much Like Playing game Shit. We can do this.
Speaker 2:I got, I want, I want trade. I think. So I think I'm, I think I'm going with Atlanta because I want Trey to end the playoffs, because it's also a thought that I know we can save for the offseason, but I'm going to go ahead and say it now. I think Trey needs to request a turkey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he needs to get up out of there. They not ready to win. They all about wings and Magic City. That's all they worried about over there in Atlanta right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're doing a whole refresh of the program, so a rebuild yeah, nah, but I'm going Dallas and I'm going Atlanta.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. So, speaking of NBA, you know the NBA Awards will be dropping soon, any day now you know they usually stagger them a little bit. So since we got the opportunity, me and Q have decided to give you guys our NBA awards. So first one, I feel like it would be nice to start with. Let's go ahead and start with Coach of the Year, who you got.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll start with Coach of the Year. I'm going to go, because now I got to think of his name. I'm about to say Monty, but it's not Monty, jb Bickerstaff, thank you. There you go, because I was about to say Monty, but Monty was the one that did it. Monty just went up there and collected that check. Yeah, he collected that good check Because he kept telling the man no, but the man kept offering more money. So at one point Monty had to be like all right, bro, come on. But now JB Bickerstaff, because of the simple fact but come on, bro. Detroit, what was it? 22 games lose a streak last year in 24? That was rough. They in the playoffs, they're in the play-off. He's got to be coach of the year. I think that's the easiest one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with that one, from what I've seen. The other options is Kenny Atkinson for Cleveland Cowboys, which I can understand. I mean we thought Cleveland was going to be good. We thought they was going to be like four, five, six seed somewhere around there. They were the best team in the NBA, pretty much outside of OKC. So I can see it. I'm going to go with JB, though Other ones I mean Udoka man we know he's an excellent coach, though I feel it I do feel that one, but nah, it's got to be JB.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's got to be Next one. Let's go ahead and slide with Rookie of the Year. I feel like no rookie has really stood out this season. You know, last season it was pretty much a one man race. You know, chet tried to give him a little run for his money but it was Victor's award to lose. But I've watched some games. Here and there I've watched a few games. One rookie that has stood out to me, he just popped on the screen. I watched a good amount of San Antonio games because I like watching Victor win me. But Stephen Castle, he stood out to me and I was thinking about looking at the other rookies out there. Stephen Castle is the only one that actually stood out to me and I'm going to go with Stephen Castle for the San Antonio Spurs.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go with Castle as well, because I feel like that's the only one Besides Sarr. Sarr came on late. That's the thing. If Sarr was doing what he did towards the end of the year for most of the year he would have not even the whole year, most of the year. I think he would have won it, but he came on late. So it's got to be Castle, because Castle's been doing his thing all year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're absolutely right. Quick one on this one. Six men in a year. I feel like it's Peyton Pritchard's award to lose, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was going to say I mean not as read, but you know he won it last year. So yeah, it's Peyton Pritchard, but I feel like he started so many games. Does he still get consideration? I guess he does. I feel like he started so many games. Does he still get consideration? I guess he does. I feel like he started a bunch of games this year.
Speaker 1:I do want to have a little bit of a discourse about the next award, the Defensive Player of the Year award. First off, all these players, y'all better be like thankful or not thankful that Victor did not get enough games, because that was his award. It is going to be his award for the foreseeable future, as long as the man is healthy. But before we talk about who's the winner of the award, I mentioned it in the past couple of podcasts a while back they desperately need to split this award up because they want to give it to a big. Pretty much 99% of the time there's only been a few times Mark Smart, gary Payton or guards to get it. They need to split this up from front court to back court players Desperately, especially because Victor, it's going to be his for the next 10 years. Split it up NBA.
Speaker 2:I think they need to split it. You're right, because the numbers is always going to skew to a big. It's always going to look like a big should win it because they do so much as far as protecting the rim, but the best players in the league now are wings, so I think a wing should win it. They going out every night voting the best player on the team. I think something needs to be said for that. It's also weird that the defensive teams are positionless, so you could put five centers on there. I think that should. I just think that don't make sense. But I do think they should separate those awards.
Speaker 1:I agree. And when Rudy Goldberg, who has won the award a million times, when Rudy goes out there to guard him a wing, he be looking silly, I never get it out of my mind. When Stephen Curry had Rudy on him, Steph was like may I have this dance? Rudy was like, yes, you may. And he had that man dancing all over the court, Made him look silly and everybody was like that's the defensive player of the year.
Speaker 2:Had that man dancing in the wind.
Speaker 1:Man, come on. But for me, though, I mean it's come down to looks like it's Evan Mobley, junior, jackson Jr and Zubac. I'm surprised Zubac is even in consideration. I know he's had a good season, but he's kind of, you know, under the radar a good season. I'm going to go with Evan Mobley because he's, you know, with Cavaliers they're going to give it to a big, so I'm going to go with Evan Mobley for the defensive player of the year.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go with Lou Dort, even though I know he ain't going to win it. I think Lou Dort should win it. All right, all right. There's no way. That team Evan Mobley. For the same reason, that team is good on offense and defense. We know why the offense is good, the defense is good because of everybody, but also because of Lou Dorn, so I think that man deserves his credit.
Speaker 1:Before we go to MVP, you said you wanted to give us your NBA first team.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, first team also Most improved is going to go with Cade Cunningham.
Speaker 1:I felt like that was.
Speaker 2:So I wanted to make sure we acknowledge that my NBA first team Che and Joker, giannis, those three is a given. I'll put Jason Tatum on there.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Those are my four locks, my field. I'm struggling and I won't get your thoughts Real quick. It's between Jalen Brunson, kay Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 1:I give it to Donovan for the simplified. I hate doing this, but this is a team sport. They've had outside the OKC, they had the best season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they started out with losing one or two games in the first 20. I think they won their first 20.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they won like their first 25, 26 games. They won so much it got to the point where, fanduel, they pretty much put out a just give us your money slot where it was like, well, the Cavaliers go undefeated, knowing them, when they was not going to go undefeated.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so nah, Okay, we got Donovan. I was up in the earth, and that's the thing. Jalen Brunson if he hadn't got hurt towards the end of the year, Jalen would have been the easy option, but I wouldn't. 100%.
Speaker 1:All right, so let's go ahead and slide to the award. Everybody wants to know and that's the MVP. Pretty much it's been a two-man race for most of the season and some people are starting to say, hey, this is a it's your Turn award. It's starting to feel like that a little bit, just a tad bit. Just saying it's starting to feel like that a little bit, Just a tad bit, Just saying it's starting to feel like it's your turn. A lot of people didn't approve of Joel Embiid winning it a couple years ago, but he did. I gots to give it to the man that averaged a triple-double, the third person ever to average a triple-double and the first big to do it in Joker. A lot of people say this is SGA's award to lose. But you have the triple-double, you get that award and your team's not God awful. The team's not God awful. They good. They was the fifth seed. They good, you got to give. Are they fifth? Yeah, they say they're fifth. Nah, bro, I'm going.
Speaker 2:Shea. All day they find their coach. Like you know, shea got 20 more wins. Yes, he averaged a triple-double, but Shea got 20 more wins. Nah, I got to go with Shea.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, all right. So it looks like well, I mean, it looks like that's who it's going to be. He is the betting favorite on pretty much every sports book you look at. If I had to vote, I would vote for Joker, Shea too. And yeah, Coming into the season, I was expecting Jason Tatum to be really in contention for this war, but he was not.
Speaker 2:But it's the of the season. I was expecting Jason Tatum to be really in contention for this war, but he was not, I think, in the bed. As far as voting, he's going to finish fourth, because it's going to be Shay. One Joker, two Giannis is a margin and then it's going to be Tatum.
Speaker 1:That's our projections for the NBA Awards. You know we are going to react whenever these awards drop. They could drop as soon as today, sometime next week, I believe they're going to stagger them. They usually do the MVP last, usually around the second round. We'll know who the MVP is but years. But you know you're going to get R4 reactions for each award. But that'll do it for another episode of From Upper Section. Please like, please subscribe to this podcast, not only this podcast, but the other podcasts. Hold up another thing.
Speaker 2:So many, oh, please. I feel what I said Distant Combos with KMS, and then the Mixed Fast Podcast.
Speaker 1:It's a lot, please like. Please subscribe to those as well In the comments section. Give us your predictions of who's going to win these awards. Some of them is easy, some of them is tough, like defensive player of the year, mvp. It's been a huge discourse. Who should win it? But hey, we like to hear you guys' perspective just as much as y'all like to hear our perspective. So we thank you again for listening. I'm your boy, dion Q. Captain Hater, unless you got something to hate on, take us home.
Speaker 2:I hear another guy, it's your boy, mr Bill aka, can't say your name on the spot. Might not fuck with your mom. I'll let y'all later.