Speaking of expectations, because we had this player had expectations set on him. And Wondermo is he drafted? Wondermo is he was trying to rent and draft it? That's not right.
That's not right. That's not right. That's not right. That's not right.
That's not right. That's second kid? Yeah, that was second kid. Yeah, that was second kid.
Yeah, he went right behind the second set. He wrapped it in the lead. Yeah, right behind the side. Yeah.
So anyway, let's talk about it, man. The Memphis Grizzlies shockingly fired their head coach Taylor Jenkins with fewer than 10 games left in the regular season as they added to the playoffs. Currently they hold the top five seat in the West of conference. Does this fire remake any sense?
That's a couple of questions here. So we're going to start with the first one. But before I get to that, I want to point out that the Memphis Grizzlies are 11 and 21 against NBA teams that are 500 or better. So this was pretty shocking news considering the fact of where we are in the season.
Does this make any sense? And what new information do we have regarding this missile? No new information can. The timing is what makes this a big question mark.
Because I had to go and listen to a whole bunch of pundits recent articles and nobody knows why now. Now the thing is, you know, and I'm glad that you had that stack because I had it as well. I'm not winning against winning teams, right? There's another coach that in my last week's power rankings and I talked about number one overall time, did it though?
Does it win right against against the elite teams in the lead? So I wouldn't have been surprised in the off season, but with 10 games left or nine games left, it just it doesn't make sense, especially because you're going to have a home playoff at the five. No, no, no, no. Not at the top.
No, no, no, it's the top, it's the top. It's the top. Yeah. Well, you we already know that that 2 through 10 is like two games that's up for you.
So they could finish as high as a three seed. I don't see them catching number two. But it is what it is. Yeah.
At the end of the day, they are in a very good position to make the playoffs and to make a run to win a series maybe two depending on the matchups. I don't know Ken. This is something that we have not seen in the NBA at this point in season. And I don't know what type of expectation is going to be put on to the interim head coach.
Because I can't imagine it's the same as the head coach. So I'm. It's makes perfect sense. I don't want you to go into the playoffs and win playoff series.
And I can't fire you because obviously they've been wanting to fire him. Y'all brought up the record against subpar 500 teams, terrible against them. They fired his whole staff without his consent in the off season. John Marant, the star player, has been complaining about their offense all season.
Like we have to fire you and the rotation. We have to fire you now before you get into playoffs. Because he's a good coach. And you possibly make a run and you win a few playoff series.
And now we're going to look at the Grizzlies even crazier if they fire him after a successful playoff run. So yeah, we're getting rid of you now. We'll take what comes with that. And then we'll reload for next season.
I think the Grizzlies have been wanting to do this. And again, I will reference the terrible record that they have against winning teams. And they just were looking for a chance to do it. And John speaking out saying he hates the offense was a perfect opportunity.
Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah, you had a fighting on the sideline with other players. Do it. Lost control of this team, man.
Yeah, he really had. He was dancing too. Yeah, definitely. Round 31, man.
It looked well, man. It was new. He was about to get fired. Yeah.
Or he was trying to get fired. Yeah, the players had to take that. I believe what you said, I wasn't even thinking that way until you said it. But you're right.
Because I was thinking, well, maybe get rid of him now because you don't have a chance to win a playoff series. So it's my point. I don't have a camera. Can I get here real quick, Nick?
Go ahead. Go ahead. I think one piece that y'all, y'all leaving out to go is that. My mind is that I'm sorry I can't hear.
No, let's take one. Let's take it. Yeah. I was thinking maybe he didn't have a chance.
No, let's take it. Can you hear me? Yeah, we can't. We just want to hear you.
Yeah, we'll get back to you real quick. I'm going to be sure that I'll be quick. I'm going to be leaving out. He kind of got the team taken from him from the front office.
Like, he started himself. Yeah. So, J'all said he preferred the other offense. He was saying that he preferred with offense used to be compared to now with more of your appeal style.
So I don't think it's more so J'all was mad at the coach. He's more mad at this convivolation of conflicting ways that they're playing. Because he's coaching one way when the coach is just trying to lead them over that way. So I don't think it's completely on him.
The execs put their hands in the pot. This is the main problem. And they did it at the time when they lost stuff for most, like, almost two years. They're in there.
Well, yeah, two years, basically. And that's when things have been hurt. Everybody's been hurt outside of J'all being suspended. So it's not like they've been able to really see what the team could have been when they had a great nucleus.
It was stupid for the exec to get involved inside this week by everybody to get back. They got inpatient. That's basically what happened. So, that's her.
She'll get you here. Yeah, can you hear me now? Yeah, what were you saying? Yeah.
I forgot not my headphones went out. But yeah, I was just basically saying, I was thinking they got rid of them before the playoff run, because you figured you're discombobulated as far as the team goes, and you had no chance at winning their first round playoff game. So you get rid of them now. That way you're riding.
I think his name is Thomas Hill so close. I'm like, let him take it and see what he can do in the playoffs. And then you decide on the coach now. And your first in line to get the newest coach, you already got a player in place that's like a star player, so to speak.
So you're just trying to get to the next level already. I'll say this. Can you listen to the Bill Simmons part, the episode I sent you? I didn't get a chance to.
I was going to watch all the young from Sunday. I don't know if it was Sunday, but it was just one of the most recent ones. It's a little bit of a little. And then the other guy who's like a message.
Who's kid? Who's kid? I don't know about that. Yeah, so I bring that up, I bring that up because that first 40 minutes of that episode, if y'all haven't tuned in, it breaks down a lot of the situation.
It gives you a lot of interest in stats and insight on what's going on in Memphis. And I bring that up again, and I said that to you directly, because it was like, you were early to the party. We called you a hater. And it seems like there's a lot of stuff that you was calling out for something.
You know there was some funky shit in the room. You used to know where it was, but you know the room was funky. You were like, y'all smell it? I was like, no.
I think that, am I surprised I'm shocked? Because if you look at it just overall, every talk about it's overall called, it's not going to individual seasons, I think Taylor Jenkins has had Memphis as a top two seed three out of four years, or something like that. It's like within the last four to five years, he's had him as a top two seed in the West. And now granted, being a top two seed in the West more than like, they don't really mean shit as we've seen in the last three years because it doesn't mean that like, you'll get to the Western Conference Finals or whatever.
It's just that's just how the West is, which is why I also say the West is kind of shitty because you could just put anybody in that mouth. But anyway, I just find it interesting that they moved on at this point, because even if you are right, the fact of like, let's not give him a chance to give us a hard reason to fire him. If you already fired a staff going into the area, why don't you just fire him then? You know what I'm saying?
It's like, why do you get him? If you already fired his staff going into the season, why didn't you just fire him then? Because it makes no, it makes no, that goes against your point though then. It doesn't make sense to keep him just to fire him late before the playoffs, because now, how does this bring any kind of stability going into one of your most, one of your important seasons to evaluate and to assess?
Because at this point, Memphis has a real question as far as like, how do we want to continue on with the scene moving forward? Because right now to me, their big three is Bane, Triple J and his job, right? It's a good point. Depending on how, right now they're at the four, five, five, a half game above Golden State, I believe, at going to be in six, which they probably won't more than likely will be.
If they say at that four, five, they're facing the Lakers. The Lakers knocked in my last year or at least, so it's like, and now the Lakers got Lucas. It was like, how are you even like competing? And then you already mentioned the record as far as them against the both 500 teams.
So it's like, if you're facing the top four, see you then they're clearly above 500. So it's like, how is that, like, how are you evaluating this team moving forward when you fire the coach 10 games left in the regular season one into the playoffs? And then you're more likely going to face a tough matchup against the veteran squad. I eat the Lakers.
Which is the next couple of questions that we have. And they're kind of the, we can talk about these all together and show you, you're going to go after a present to the team. It's Memphis headed for a soft rebuild, Nick mentioned three players. And if so, is John Marant a franchise player, can you build a team around him as your best player?
We have to talk about something. I can use one to take a show. Yeah, go ahead, show. I was going to ask the question.
It's very similar way. Y'all think they over achieved this year or are they under? Were they supposed to be? That's what my question were.
Is John Marant a good one? Yes, it's not even quote. What are you talking about? I'm Jack and Julian.
No, Jared Jackson, Jr. is not. Cause he, cause I'm gonna use Nick's take correctly. He can't create his own shop.
He's not a guy that you're giving the bar be like, hey, like we need buckets, go get buckets. He's a pro, no. I don't disagree. He's more in the line of Bam out of bio without the playmaking progress that Bam has.
You know, I'm not saying he can't DHL and stuff like that, but he can't, you know, create off the dribble the same way Bam, but to me, he's more in line with what Bam does. To answer the question, can, do they need a soft rebuild? I've been saying it for a minute now, because outside of John Marant, they don't have another guy that can just go get them a bucket at an elite level. And they also don't have a guy that is an elite wing.
At the end of the day in the NBA, you got to be able to guard. You can't shut them down. You got to be able to guard the LeBron's, the KD's, the Jason Tatum's, the six, seven to six, 10 guy. You have to have a guy that can go out there and compete on both ends of the court.
And they don't have that guy. Desmond Bain, I like him, but he is limited in what he can do offensively. And he's somewhat of a defensive liability, right? Darren Jackson love him and I love pairing him with John Marant.
But the rest of that roster in between isn't elite enough. Now here's the issue, right? The same thing with the Atlanta Hawks of years ago that I was talking to. I was talking to purgatory, yeah.
They are a good enough team to make the playoffs perennially. But they're not going to be a six, seven, eight, nine, 10 seat. They're going to be three, four, five, six. And when you are there, you're not going to be able to draft the guy that's elite enough.
Because they draft the two of them. They draft the job and they draft the jury. And then they're not a free agent destination. They're not.
You know, I want to go to Memphis. Hey, it's my goal. If they know what's up, they're going to want to go to Memphis. I'm telling you.
They don't want to go to Memphis. They don't want to go to Memphis. You got out of there. You got out of there.
You ain't even there. Not from Memphis, I'm from Nashville. It's totally different worlds. Exactly.
You ain't moving. You ain't going to Memphis. No, no, no. So that's the issue with Memphis right now.
And then the thing is, okay, fine, let's say you give up Desmond Bain, you give up everything else. I like the rookie. You know what I'm saying? He has, no, no, no, no, no, no.
The other one. The other one. He was doing okay. No, no, no.
He's balling. He ain't balling, bro. He's not for rookie. He's balling for rookie.
I'm not saying he's rookie in a year. But he can't. So we'll go. Okay.
I'm going to go ahead with you. I'm almost there. Oh, you. Look, I don't know how they go about it, but I would be willing to trade everything, not mean, Edie, Jaren, or Jaw to try to get an elite wing that is probably disgruntled somewhere.
Like, I'll put it to you like this. K.D. would be perfect for that squad. Hell, and I wouldn't wish K.D.
on the Memphis Grizzlies. K.D. would be perfect for that squad. Okay.
They just signed him. I need a free agent. I'm not trying to tell you. I'm not trying to tell you.
The team that K.D. need to go to is Houston. That's the team that needs him the most and he will. He's a non-neem.
He's a non-neem. He went dumb left and then things just kind of fell apart because they really have any veteran leadership. Now, he's done a better job of managing all that, but I'm just saying that. It's not even that.
It's the drafting, bro. It's the players that they have, the lu dorts of the world, the Jay Len, you know, I'm bad with names, but it's everybody else not named Shay or Chad. Well, my main point isn't really to bring up. Okay.
See, my main point was that where Memphis is now, I feel like Houston is going to get you. Where it's like, I let that I watched Houston. I stayed up late last night watching that Houston Lakers game and it was ugly for a lot of the Lakers wanted out because of the veteran leadership. You got LeBron James, but even him and Luke was playing.
He didn't play great. It wasn't good basketball for most of the part. Houston has no go to bucket guy. Like a guy to go to, they had a what's his name, Dylan Brooks doing turnaround fadeaways.
Like, bro, what's the problem on this thing? He's got a big deal of awesome. And you were talking about on the top. I seen the potential.
He is a good player, but he's not there yet in the granite. You could say, well, give him a few more years because they still young, but they give him the win now. They can win now while we waiting because the thing is, is that in my opinion, Houston is not ready to press the button. Okay.
See, he's ready to press the button because I've been saying you can't sign, you can't sign all those guys. You're going to have to give up assets, whether they be draft picks or players on rookie deals to go get one guy a veteran to assume what that salary is, right? Houston still needs to develop, amen, and Jalen before it's like, okay, cool, let's bring in a KB like player because if you bring them in now, you're 100% right. Nick, I don't disagree.
They don't have a go to guy, which is why I said I love Houston, but I don't see him winning more than one round of the playoffs. I can see him losing in the first round because they don't have that yet, but you have to develop that because you have two guys that could potentially be that. You have to develop that. Look, I put it to you like this.
What did Boston do? When it got Gordon Hayward, he got hurt. That was the best thing for Jason Tatum. Gordon Hayward got hurt that first game against Cleveland on the alley.
I remember that play Gordon Hayward. Hey, shit. Hey, was a legit 20 point game score, bro. And a legit two way player.
What is you talking about? We all start. We all look at the goal. It was before I went when they paid them all that money was like, why did I go and go and hang with all that.
You was. I wasn't. But at the end of the day, the fact that he got hurt helped Jason Tatum's development. And that's why I'm saying that the guy now.
Back to the grisies. But the grisies should trade for a different book. That's a lot of work. Do you think he's a so what do you think?
Sheldon's John French as player? Like, are they going to rebuild? He is. He is.
John has got to get back on track. And I say that twofold. John was always like the people's choice. John was what and he is.
And he can get back there. All he has to do is focus on basketball and keep it. Make sure you keep yourself out of the news for negative reasons. They didn't get a spot back.
John just got to work hard and have a season where he stays healthy and does what he's capable of doing and just blocks out everything but basketball. He can get back to the top. He really can. And I think so.
And he's done that this year. He's done that this year. He's done that this year. He's in the West and he had no problems.
He was hurt for a portion of this season on Luke. I'm talking about like he's got to keep clean as far as health goes as well. So that's that's that's big for him. But yeah, he is a franchise player.
You have to pay them a cent because like I said, you look at it. He's a people's chat. That's huge too. So he's still having on fans that want to be job and want to do some some job type of stuff other than you know, the negative and you just got to play on that and hope that that attracts like you said, people are going to go hard on that.
They don't track top name free agents. You need to figure out a way to get somebody else in the door that's going to help you win because right now this lineup is good enough to where they can stay relevant, but not good enough to win it all. I think they I think they would have to gut a lot of the team to get a Devin Booker or I don't even know who was another comp that you can say like, all right, you can kind of get this guy and he will help this team out. I think they're kind of fine where they are.
I just think that John needs to be like you said, you're going to championship. You can't say that about a lot of teams, but no, they can. But okay. But when you have a player, he stopped.
John Miranda stopped by that disposition. Yes. They hit by that position, jerry Jackson is slightly outside of the top. What do you call it?
I see a powerful for him. I believe SBA watch a rebound to me. Pollows better t him. I'll tell you, Paula Bonkaro all day over him.
Okay. Oh, he's not. I'm not gonna put him on top. Okay.
I want to put him on top of that guy. I have to look at the rock. I think he's a sneaky type. He's one of those guys.
Years like how Sabonis was under the radar and so people started recognizing. Like, he's one of those guys where I was like, to be so nice is better than him. Bandmade of Bios better than him. I'm not going to buy you better than Jerry Jackson.
I don't think that. I'll be better than that. You know, the reason I say so is he only happens like 22 and five. He doesn't get a rebound, but he does watch out.
Bam, bam, bam, blah, blah, blah, blah. And you write people's that he's got like, he's averaging a little over nine points and a little over seven rebounds a game. So he's having a very, if we hype it up, Ronnie. He's like, I don't know.
That guy is not Paul, I know because I had him on my fantasy team. I'd say he's only good for blocking shots and occasionally rebounds. He's hoping he ain't all of it. He gets that stuff by default.
Um, John Marant has played 40 for 45 games this year, Luke, out of out of 60 something. So I think he's in this like 21 or something like that. So yeah, he just he just can't stay on the court. But anyway, I don't think it's over for him.
I just think that he got to be careful, bro. He's heading to the relevancy. And the last thing who is who is John Lee? He's not going to put him on nothing ever.
He's got to be changed. He is winning games. He went in one as I got. You got drafted over him.
Yeah, they both damn near the same type of injury from right now. But if they get into a soft rebuild and they're not winning games, bro, then they ain't going to matter. It ain't going to matter. So I think he just needs to be careful, but he still can.
Yeah, so that's where I'm at with that. But we'll see man. I think that if he if they show out in the playoffs and they get this thing around and you know, he can make a name for himself, he'll be back. But if they face the Lakers in a seven game series, who y'all who y'all would y'all forget?
No question. Yeah, it's like. I say. Laker should win this year.
Laker should win. I would say it's at least six. I can see. Because you have a local game.
Don't tell me. Don't tell me. Luka is the baby. Of the NBA.
That fat motherfucker. You know he's short. But this time of year, you know, you know, you know, he's not good in the playoffs. He's actually great.
But lately, bro, like I was watching that. He's the game. If you said had a score that if I'm in Thompson, the way people was talking about him, if he was as good as where he's potentially where he's potentially good. They win that game easily.
I'm trying to tell you because I'm looking at this Lakers scene defensively. They don't got it. They can't stop nobody. I'm just struggling right now.
I can't. Yeah. They struggle with this because LeBron is not a hundred percent. You didn't watch them when the defense was good.
It's just kind of good. You don't watch them all season and they are damn rollercoaster. Luka can drag this thing into the third round. I mean, to the second round and you're going to far shelter.
Yeah. And you see Luka go with Dallas? Bro, Luka can they could win LeBron with down. They can even win games.
What are you talking about? I'm talking about playoffs. I'm not going to be with you on that. I don't like this legacy.
But I'm saying play otherwise. You know, I was like a thing, but you got him in the West of Conners. They need LeBron on the court. Is LeBron on the court looking like a shit bro?
We saw. They do need. But they still trying to figure out who took a last shot. Oh, they know.
That's the question. Yeah. Yeah. I'm watching these games.
I'm watching these game. I think he is one of these Lakers. We have seen, man, I almost almost put out the pin on Luka. And he can't watch.
He may be having a conversation. I'm ready to say it. When I come early to the party, can they call me a hater? I'm just saying, right now, this Lakers team has got a lot of of gas on it.
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