Duke, Houston And The Cinderella Path, SGA's Legacy & More | PAIN POINTS

An 83-point game should be a universal celebration, so why did it turn into an argument? We start with March Madness because bracket season is where confidence goes to die, and we’re still bold enough to make picks. Derek Thompson and I break down who we like coming out of each men’s region, where the upset paths are hiding, and why some “safe” teams feel way more fragile than the seed line suggests. On the women’s side, we talk UConn as the standard, the few squads with the depth to scare them, and why the women’s tournament keeps getting better as star power and continuity grow.

Then we jump to the NBA, starting with Bam Adebayo’s 83-point explosion and the part nobody agrees on: when does chasing history cross into a bad ending? We get into intentional fouling, the way fans judge different players, and why a huge scoring night can feel different depending on who does it. That opens the door to the bigger scoring conversation, playoff basketball reality, and why records like Jordan’s 63 still carry a different weight.

From there we go full hoops debate mode with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We talk SGA’s efficiency, MVP-level impact, and the uncomfortable question fans are starting to ask: is he already pushing past legends like Harden, AI, and Wade when you factor in defense and postseason performance? We also hit the Celtics with Jayson Tatum back, the Knicks as a potential matchup problem, NBA expansion talk around Seattle and Vegas, and then close with NFL free agency winners and losers, including a Panthers check-in on what actually makes sense for building a contender.

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Transcript

Cold Open And What We Cover

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Everybody talks about Shay being like a foul vater or whatever. They people Harden was making people play with their hands behind their back.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

I didn't even compare to Harden.

SPEAKER_03 0:10

They were just trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

So this is Derek Thompson from Pick Em Pros. You can catch us on all podcast platforms, including YouTube and now 104.5 WCCG in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

So hey y'all, welcome back to another episode of Papoints. Brianna is rocking out doing phenomenal interviews for us this week. She'll be back soon. But I just want to say, hey, it's been a great time. Big 24. Crazy thing happened the last time we left the show with BM dropping 83. Um SGA, he now has scored the most. He scored 20 points straight the most in NBA history. He had broken Will's record. And we're going to see how good Jason Tatum is and who our winners and losers of

Men’s Bracket Picks And Cinderella Talk

SPEAKER_03 1:15

free agency. But first, we need to talk about March Madness, our brackets, and who do we have coming out of each division? So, Derek, I'm gonna start with you. Who do you think is coming out of each conference and who's your Cinderella?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Oh man, okay. Well, it's a little little early. So at the time of recording, it's what Tuesday right now. At our time of recording, right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

So it's early.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

I have it, you know, kind of nailed down, but uh let me go each region. So out of the east for the men, we'll start here uh for the east. Uh got the number one seed Duke coming out of there. All right. Um, I don't see much competition here that can can derail them. Uh, I think Duke is consistent enough to be able to handle all these teams in in the east. Uh, even though they're a little shorthanded, I believe they'll get their center back, but even without their center, just seeing what they were able to do in the ACC ACC tournament, I think they have enough to at least get into the final four with uh what they've got now. Um in the South, we have Florida as the number one seed. Uh, do not believe in them to get to the Final Four. Uh, they could even get out of the SEC tournament. Um, we've got, you know, you got my guys, Houston, right? You know, I always pick Houston to win it every year. Don't know if I'm going that far, but I uh am comfortable with Houston coming out of the South and knocking out Florida there. So I've got Duke and Houston in one bracket, east and south in the final four, got them matching up. Oh man, the other one is where it gets tough. This is where I'm not so sure. So in the West, Arizona's number one seed, believe they're the number one seed overall, looking really good. Um, handled my my Houston Cougars last week. So that definitely was a statement. So them, I think it comes down to them and uh Arkansas, Arkansas being at number four seed. Arkansas is looking looking good.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

Uh love there.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Yeah, yeah. He's he's strong, man. Shout out to Big Perk. Perk was on him months ago and was saying that, you know, he was saying he'd be number one. And man, I'm I'm seeing all that he's talking about. So yeah, I'm a big fan of what I'm seeing there. And it's a toss-up between those two, man. I mean, Arizona, clearly the the you know, more stacked team, but man, I'm not sleeping on Arkansas. So that that's a toss-up for me there. And then in the Midwest, I think that's the weakest one. You've got Michigan is the number one seed. Never really believed in Michigan, although love, love Michigan. Always been a Michigan fan growing up, but um just don't believe in them as far as being a number one seed. Uh, I'm looking at Virginia. Uh, Virginia looks scary to me. They've got crazy hype, uh, depth. They gave Duke all they could handle in that uh ACC championship game. So Virginia seems to be my sleeper. So I'd like to put Virginia in the Final Four. Man, out of the West, right now, I probably have to go ahead and say Arizona. Um, but I'm pulling for Arkansas. So that's where I'm at as far as the men's bracket.

SPEAKER_03 4:30

Gotcha. I would say for me, I'm going Duke. And honestly, because I love every the faded rivalry that we seem to have every Final Four in recent memories, I like UNC coming out. I think that I want to see another Duke UNC rematch for the for a chance to go to the championship yet again. I think look, Duke fans, I just want us to get our link back for the time that we coach K got sung twice, you know, because they took us out and you know, the championship and his retirement game in Cameron. So just one more time where we can take out UNC. I definitely want us to do that, right? Okay. Next, I would say out of the West, I'm going Arkansas because of A Cov showing up in the clutch buckets and Coach Cal, his experience. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna necessarily disagree with that. And in the Midwest. Uh-huh. I'm gonna go Virginia as well. You know, I think that Virginia it I really love their team. I love the depth, the height. I just think it's gonna be really interesting. Uh, but again, you know, it's March Madness, there's gonna be a surprise run. We could all be complete, we could be completely wrong by next week, and that's the beauty of March. So I am very excited to see what the rest of this season's gonna hold all the crazy buzz readers. I mean, the games on Saturday, my goodness. Like, I just uh this March everything everything turns up in Nashville C college basketball in March. So I'm very excited to see what the rest of this season will hold for.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Okay, okay. So as of right now, all right, and then we just go to the women, but all right, so we kind of said who's in the final four, but man, you comfortable enough to uh who'd who you got winning it all?

SPEAKER_03 6:24

I ain't comfortable for winning it all yet. Listen, you gotta give me this time. You gotta give me some time for that. But I do think that like selfishly, I want Duke to win it all, but I'm just I wanna wait. You know what? I'm gonna wait until we get to the round of 32, and then I'm gonna make my championship pick.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Okay. You know it don't work that way, right?

SPEAKER_03 6:44

I know it don't. And uh listen, it's because listen, I've gotten so close with my bracket like one time when I was in like high school, and like I predicted everything. I almost got the final four right. I just didn't predict, like I got like three out of the four of the final four right by like junior year high school, and ever since then it's never been right all the time. So fine. I'll just say because you know, in honor of you know the big news with us and Duke, I'm going with Duke, you know, it's right with it.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

All right, I got to say right now, who man, yeah. If I had to say right now, I'm I'm gonna go ahead and say Houston.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

All right, you stick with them, you still stick with them.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Stick with them, stick with him. All right, okay. I can't I can't have the year where I don't pick them, and then that's the year they win it. Okay,

Women’s Tournament Favorites And UConn Debate

SPEAKER_01 7:36

all right. So women's bracket, we've got Fort Worth one, we've got Sacramento. So we got Fort Worth, Sacramento, two Sacramento's, and we've got uh two Fort Worths. Okay, so we got two Fort Worths and two Sacramento's as far as our brackets go. So um in the first Fort Worth bracket, Yukon is the number one. I'm looking at Yukon and Vanderbilt as really the only teams that have a shot coming out of there. Yukon is undefeated, has not has not lost, steamrolling everybody. I don't, I mean, hey, we can we can really just cut to the chase because I mean the only team that I think has a shot at possibly beating UConn is UCLA. Um, I think UCLA could possibly get them. I don't even think Texas can get them. I think UCLA is probably the only team that might be able to get them. But man, yeah, I I don't see anybody beating beating UConn. I mean, I love South Carolina. That's my squad, their number one seed in Sacramento for region. Um, they'll have a tough battle with TCU. TCU will be a tough out. Um, UCLA has Duke and LSU in their bracket, and then Texas has you know NC State. You know, I mean NC State's always a tough out in the the tournament, but um yeah, UConn, man.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

It's just uh you know where it goes. All right. Well, do I want Don to get her lick back or do I go with the undefeated team? That's where I'm at with picking the change. Yeah. Uh I got UConn as well, man. I just I think that it's because of certain draws that like Don Staley's team has had. That isn't to diminish her greatness as a coach, but certain draws that she's had with like not necessarily good running up against teams like all the tell, they'll have like a star, but not a team that is as deep that matches the depth of a South Carolina in these scenarios. That's why I definitely would say UConn's probably gonna win it all. So I'm excited for that. I'm just yeah. I'm just I'm really glad at the space that hoops is in. I feel like the every generation with college and NBA, the older generation was like, oh, it's over, you know, the kids don't like it anymore, NIL's ruining it. Basketball has consistently gotten better, I think, year after year after year. Football, that's a different discussion for another day. But I'll definitely say that college basketball with the NIL stuff, we're seeing more people. We're seeing, I think for the men's side, you're seeing more star power than we have in recent years. And on the women's side, because they're a homegrown talent, now we're seeing more teams like really start to build dynasties and stuff. And that's something I'm so excited to see. And that's always been more so in the women's game because they're there for four years, but I think it's becoming more of an emphasis and it's really coming back in a big way. So I'm definitely, definitely excited for this for these championships,

Bam’s 83 And The Backlash

SPEAKER_03 10:36

man. North Carolina zone. Listen, as North Carolina residents, as a North Carolina show, we are celebrating a man from High Point dropping 83 points. So literally after the show, I'm hanging out with my friends, and I see uh I see in halftime that he has 4U3, and I was like, okay. I was like, you know what, it would be funny if I swear this is not the LeBron lag thing where he was lying about Kobe's 81. I legitimately thought it would be funny if he was if he somehow passed it, and it was a not it was a non-thought, and then I checked my phone after, and I was like, oh, he has 83, and I was like, huh? And I just I was looking it up, I was looking up on TikTok, I was so confused, and then I'm seeing all the debates on like Kobe fans being like, is this legit or is it fake or all this stuff? So for you, do you think this is a legit 83 or it's an 83? I don't care, right? I don't care, it's legit, but how do you feel about it?

SPEAKER_01 11:35

Oh man, yeah, it it's interesting, and I'm I'm I'm a little aggravated by the basketball people that are like, oh, if you criticize this at all, you're you know awful and not a basketball person, and uh just all of that, that whole narrative. I'm just I'm just so so sick of it. I mean, you know, I I don't like which I don't think anybody in right by could say they like the way that the game ended. I mean, intentionally fouling to get additional possessions and all that. I just think that wasn't really, you know, all that cool. I I think this should have been a I think this would have been a much bigger deal if he had gotten 73, 72, and they didn't do all that. I think it would have been universally, you know, celebrated by everybody like dang, look at look what Bam did. Bam isn't even known as a score like that, and look, look what he did. Um, but this whole notion that, oh, if you're anywhere close to the record, you've got to go for it. Okay, yeah, go for it as far as jacking shots, but the intentional fouling and all that stuff and everything, and I I just think that was that was pretty pretty whack to to me. So um, you know, I hear nothing but great things about Bam. I think he's cool as a person. I think two things could be true. Um, you know, I love how he's gone from being, you know, you know, bench player to you know carving out his career, all of that. All that's great, you know, and I think the storylines on that is phenomenal. Um, but at the same time, no, I don't like the way he got the 83. You know, I just don't.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

I got you. Well, I will say, with not Enoch during the intentionally fouling and how many threes he was taking, that was kind of my issue that I took with it. I'm still happy. Listen, I'm just happy that North Carolina's been having a rut recently. That's where I'm at. Because I was like, okay, look, second leaded score, second highest score in NBA history. J. Cole drops the falloff, Panthers are in the playoffs and have a good free agency. You know what? We're you know, pick a pros, we're killing it out here, y'all. Like, I'm just saying, there's a lot of things to celebrate. So I think because I'm more of a homer for the state, I'm more wrapped into that. But I will say the amount of free throw attempts, and he could have made more, is the kind of thing where I was like, bro, it could have been a higher number than that. Had you made more of your free throws, even with like them trying to foul you. But I will say nobody on the wizard starting a fight once he got 60. That should have been a that should have been something. Like, you're still trying to get them rejected, do something at this point. Because obviously, y'all are defending. I do think that like being a team that like lets up a score like that, because if you give up like 30 or 40, you know, that's already awful. But you yeah, it's just like getting two nuclear bombs dropping you're just like okay, like we just gotta keep going. Like, guys, y'all could have started to fight, y'all could have done something to distract from fact, got him ejected, done something. And I think that like again, I don't know if it was the team, I don't know if the Wizards, like, I understand that they were just trying to like you know deal with it, but like this can't be the team that like gets 80 dropped on you. And now I do wonder, like, are there gonna be any other NBA players who just like I'm just gonna go for it from here on out? Is Ant gonna do it? Is it gonna be Shay? That's what I'm excited about.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

I think that's I'm excited to see Ant Shea or Wemby try to like get there, you know, and if they do it in a similar way, I if there's like an intentional foul towards the end where like they don't necessarily have the points, I would assume that I want to see if the debate would be the same. Because my take is has always been I saw one of a great taste like it was I was watching one of my favorite creators live, right? They're like basically imagine if like Christina Million had a better album than Beyonce, like that's how everybody would treat it, right? Because Christina Million is a star, her right, but she's not like Beyonce. What is the name? Like Wilt and Kobe, and then you have Bam out of Bayo, who isn't known as a score, has been known as a score. His director, Miami is still like in the play in. I think that that's what kind of makes it a little bit more uh, but let's say like during Shay's MVP year, he was getting like he was getting near 80. Or you see Ant, you know, with the wolves still being in context, even Luca, like I think it would have resonated differently with the fans, but because it was bam, that's why the reaction was so heavy, and I don't think the buy, I think the bias was there more.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Yeah, oh yeah, no, no, no question, no question, it was there because bam is just not a household name like that to that level. You know, if it was somebody else, if it was Ant, Steph, uh man, so many people. Wimby, you know, yeah, it would have been would have been celebrated, probably even with if there were a few antics at the end. But um, the fact you you combine both of those, you combine the antics and the fact that it's bam, yeah, there's gonna be there's gonna definitely be uh a lot of pushback. And yeah, I feel somebody somebody's breaking that. Yeah, definitely. I say next year for sure. Make sure somebody's going somebody 85 90. Um, and and at some point, and maybe it's maybe Wimby's the most equipped, but I think somebody gets a hundred one on one. So that's gonna be the crazy part.

SPEAKER_03 17:00

Well I'm glad to see is that now we know it's possible to get 100 because everybody's like look doing the math of their house like if it was Jeff with all those three-point attempts in them single battle free throws. I think I like the odds.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

I like yeah, I mean you've seen it. I mean, clay when Clay got the what 60 yeah, you got three quarters like three quarters off of like nine dribbles or something like that. I mean, you know, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:27

That's what Steve Kerr benching everybody as soon as they get hot, which you know. Oh, I know that like Diego's a Warriors fan. That's the that's always been Steve Kerr's thing with the with the Warriors. As soon as Steph is really cooking, he'll be like, All right, we're gonna take you out, we're gonna cool you off real quick. And it's like, dog, you really don't need to do that.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

But yeah, yeah, but yeah, somebody, somebody's getting that. Somebody's getting that record. He's not gonna hold that. He's not gonna hold that long. Somebody's getting that. It probably won't be to end this season. Um, but definitely as we go into next season, somebody's getting that for sure. Um what I find interesting is that the 63, Jordan's 63 playoff record has not been been broken yet. I'm I'm kind of surprised by that. Um, it just shows how different playoff basketball is for that record to stay as long as it as it has.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

So I don't know. Yeah, I don't feel the closest that I feel like anybody can get to a high scoring performance of the playoffs is like a 50 ball. Like you're not getting 60. Like 60, I feel like they're going that somebody's gonna punch you in your face. Like you're like, no, like we're you're gonna get we are going to we're gonna bring back Detroit good old Detroit Pistons basketball, just throw you to the ground. Like it's you're not you're not getting 60 on beat in a playoff game. Nobody's gonna have that's my legacy, not at all.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

In that in that Jordan game, it was I know it was at least I feel like it was double overtime, but I know it was at least single overtime that that 63.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

So Larry Bird was like, Hey man, that's God playing basketball. And I was like, you know what? Then again, watching the last dance, I was like, you know what, Larry? He might have been on to something, brother. He might have been on this, yeah, yeah, man.

Can Anyone Catch SGA All Time

SPEAKER_03 19:06

So speaking of all-time great shooting guards, you know, we're seeing we're just thinking all-time great in SGA. Um, I mean, his shooting like 54% as a guard. What I don't even I don't even know, man. I think that him having a loat record and him being this young, this team still being this young, I'm just so excited to see what he's gonna continue to do because I do think that there's going to be some conversations to be had once he gets more hardware. And if the hardware does come this year, because he's wouldn't get MVP, but it let's say back-to-back MVP and chambers like this. Man, yeah, I'm happy that this young of a player is really inserting himself into some crazy conversations and crazy hypes at this point. It's like it is that feeling of like when Mahomes got in and all of a sudden it just it just, you know, and then he's already in the all-time great quarterback discussion all off of just like a couple seasons, right? Off of you know, MVPs and championships. I do think for Shay, it's that same equivalent. It's like how he plays is so smooth and it just looks easy. Like I the clutchback is because I was watching the Celtics OKC game, like just how effortless it was. Like that's what I like about Shay's game. It's not that he it's just like this is something he naturally does. Him getting his teammate, and again, he still plays pretty good defense and he still works well with his team. I think that this, yeah, these playoffs really could be a defining one. It could put him in a conversation where it's like, okay, is he in the top, is he like more like top six shooting guard of all time? And then like after like, does he need more to like really push like where the harden where the hardened iverson wade is after like MJ and Kobe, right? Like that's where I'm at. It's like MJ and Kobe.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Yeah, I mean, he's gotta be.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

I mean, because shoot, six, who's yeah, because are we moving AI, Harden, or Wade from like that five? Because that's what it would be, because that's what everybody all of them, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

I'm moving all of them. It it is especially Wade. Yes, yeah, no doubt, no doubt. No, no question. I mean, SGA, what he's doing, man, and I mean, and I think this season's showing a lot of it. I mean, as much as the season that they've played with guys hurt or or just resting, because I really think they're playing chess, um, and being strategic um with everybody. But yeah, I mean, man, what he's doing and his shooting percentage and all that, man, yeah. SGA is SGA is is.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

We think he's top four, he's a top four shooting guard all time already at present time.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I mean, and again, I was a i guy, love ai, but ai shooting percentage, it was it was very volume, you know what I'm saying? And his defense isn't what SGAs is, so yeah, I mean, that puts him over there, and he's already got, I mean, uh, you know, um, AI had the MVP, um, got to the finals. I mean, Shay is surpassing that. So, yeah, I think this year, yeah, he's surpassing all of them. Um, yeah, for sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_03 22:42

Now, as a person who saw Houston Harden personally, I I can't go as far as fast hardened, but because of the MVP, him winning the second MVP, that that can push me. Okay, that can move me. But I still remember Harden in Houston. That's where I'm like oh, phenomenal. Yeah, it's uh very underrated, yeah. Just like it was like that's and again, the fact that like everybody talks about Shay being like a foul mater or whatever. They people Harden was making people play with their hands behind their back, and even compared to played behind compared to Harden. They were just trying to figure out what the heck was going on, so that's where I'll say Hardin is still Harden was still there, even Harden now is still like performing and playing well, right? But like, not like Houston Harding, but like Houston Harton, man, Houston Hardin.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

It was when he would start patting that ball, you know what I mean. It it was one of the most beautiful things you can see. Yeah, I I saw Houston Hartin live um in in in Detroit in Lil Caesars Arena, first year in Lil Caesars Arena. Uh saw Harton. It was Chris Paul, um Hartin. Uh yeah, they had they had everybody, man. Um yeah, yeah, all of them. Um, shoot, your guy, the sneaker king, oh PJ Tucker, Eric Gordon, DJ, uh all of them, all of them was on there. And on Detroit, they still had they had Blake, yeah. Um, they had yeah, a lot of folks, but yeah, anyway. Um, yeah, yeah, no, Harden, that Harden, very underrated, could have won three MVPs, just like Shay could have three, you know, because he people argue he could have won the year before. So, no, very similar. But the edge, not even so much, okay, the ring, right? Because that is a thing. SGA has the ring and Harden doesn't, but I say the ultimate tip to SGA is just his playoff performance and how Harden has been bad in the playoffs. So that alone, because of that, uh that that already puts SGA on.

SPEAKER_03 24:53

Everybody wants to talk about the Pacers series of where it was like, Oh, it went seven, they were an Achilles like Shay the entire series was putting that team on his back outside of that one Jalen Williams game. The rest of it, it was mostly yeah, it was about 85% Shay, Jalen Williams game, and then you know the rest of it happened when it how it happened, but the whole playoff Shay was taking the lead, and like that's a team that's full of star of star quality players, and he's the one who's still lead dog the lead horse. So I'm just excited to see Shay keep improving. Keep I really I just need that OKC Spurs series, man. I just that's that's what I need. The two young young Dallas season again, and I'm just I'm really happy to see that starting to happen. So, you know, we'll talk about that once the playoffs, once the season wraps up and the playoffs like fully get to starting.

Celtics Outlook Knicks Threat Expansion Cities

SPEAKER_03 25:48

But anyway, we're gonna switch over to the Easter Conference. And honestly, the way JT has moved the needle since he came back, the way that he's facilitating, even though he hasn't gotten a scoring touch all the way to like you know, the 25-30 that we can typically see from him, I do think that a JT is that missing the last piece that the Celtics needed. I really make it go to the finals. So, Derek, how are you feeling about that? What are you seeing from Jason Tatum so far? How do you feel like you know this is gonna go for the Celtics going towards the end of the season?

SPEAKER_01 26:25

I I think so. Um, you know, Tatum gives them uh a little extra punch and juice, but I think more of it is just their style of play, the way that they're playing now. Just they're they're so wide open. Um, the the three ball that they shoot is really separating, and that's why they've been able to they have the number two spot even without without Tatum. So I feel that with um the role players stepping in, playing the way that they're playing, they're playing phenomenally. They've made some great pickups. I think all the guys that they got rid of, they got rid of at the perfect time. People thought they were just kind of giving up, but no, they were making the right moves. I mean, Holiday past his prime. Um, you know, all the you know, other guys that were kind of getting older, you know, Porzingis had to go, had the illness, could could never play. Al Horford, love him, but again, he's you know, um older, so I think they made all the right moves, got younger, got faster, they can shoot just as good. And um, I feel that the Knicks was a matchup problem for them. And but the Knicks aren't as grinded out, gritty, they're not as much of a defensive team. So that that's the only team that I think could possibly get them if the Knicks can employ that physical style. I think that that's the the possible kryptonite for Boston that they would have to work uh look out for. That's the only bad matchup. I think they match up great against everybody else and would would handle anybody else in the East.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

My thing is with the Knicks, though, it's always gonna be how's Kat going to perform? Is Cat going to be fouling out? Is Kat actually gonna play like the dog that we know that he can't? That's the thing. It's never going to be our Jalen Brunson or the rest of like maybe like a couple role players. It's gonna be on Mikhail Bridges and Kat because either they have great series or they disappear. We saw that last year. I think that OG Ananobi is gonna be fine, Jalen Brunson's gonna be fine. Those are like championship caliber OG's wanna ring, like they're championship caliber battle test and playoff playoff performers. I think that again, it's cat who always makes me nervous because he's gonna have some stupid fouls, it's gonna cost him early in the game. They're gonna have to go small, and that's how the south how they've always got him, but then they because they have Jalen Brunson, it's like okay, they'll be okay.

SPEAKER_04 28:58

Right.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

I I don't know how sure I am with that, with the Celtics championship experience and with Jason coming back and just adding a new momentum towards the second half of the season. Because this again, the Knicks, while they are a good team, it's the whole power of friendship thing that they've had going on for a little while. I get it, but y'all, it's put up or shut up time now. Like you can be the power of friendship team for a little while. It's like, oh, the Villanova boys. It was a cool story when y'all were surprising, where it was surprising that y'all were good. It has to be now. This is the best shot you're gonna get. Because when the Celtics are fully healthy, they're back to it, I feel. Unless the unless Detroit gets another score, like that's really how the east is gonna go. And then even with the expansion, which I should have made out of topic because again, we found that out like a couple days ago. Let's say Minnesota or Memphis goes to the east, but let's not even say Memphis, let's say Minnesota comes to the east and it isn't the east. That could be that could spell some danger for the Celtics. You feel me? So that's where I'm like, I don't know. And again, with the experience team, who do you think with Vegas and Seattle, right? I love those locations again. Seattle getting basketball again. Hopefully, I really need this go through Vegas getting a basketball team fully. That's gonna be great. I hope again they don't forget about the ACs and all they've done to basically like establish that Vegas as a basketball talent, especially with how Aja Wilson has been hooping for them. But I do think that the expansion is gonna be great for the league. It's gonna be great to have more talent spread out. But I will say, like, there's gonna be more teams who are gonna be willing to tank. I don't think there's gonna be a bunch of teams willing to be in the middle, so that might so that might become an issue. But you think if Minnesota goes to the east, that they are doing that they aren't that it'll be more easy for them to make a finals, would you say it'd be easier for them to make a finals if Minnesota went to the east?

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I I think so. Yeah, if you if Minnesota, that's that's a great question. Um, if you put Minnesota in the east right now, I think most people have them coming out.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Um, so yeah, yeah, yeah, that'd be good. And yeah, I think Minnesota, Memphis, I don't know who is, I mean Tennessee, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

Tennessee's more Chicago, but that's the thing. You got Chicago, Milwaukee, Indiana, Indianapolis, all of that. Listen, like that's that's what I'd want to see. I want to see Aiden Halley, or like, you know, a couple times, a couple times a year. Like that's what that's what I'd be excited for. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah. But uh, yeah, love to see your team in Seattle. So they they never should have lost their team, just like Charlotte shouldn't have lost their team back in the day. So uh be good to see them have their have their squad back, see what they can do.

SPEAKER_03 31:52

I don't think tell people like I just you understand like rabid fan bases who've been craving the moment. It's gonna be packed out, it's gonna be crazy. The energy is gonna be amazing. That's what I'm really excited for to see with these new teams.

NFL Free Agency Winners Losers And Panthers

SPEAKER_03 32:06

But anyway, we're gonna go back to the NFL toward to end the show. We're gonna talk about free agency frenzy. It's starting to wind down, you know. The Ravens figured out their whole situation, got their pass rusher with Train Henderson, signs of players. But other than the Ravens, you know, with that snafu or whatever, I don't know if they're a winner or a loser, but who are the people who make your favorite moves and who's made some of your least favorite moves?

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Man, I mean least favorite, I'd say 49ers. Um, I don't like a lot of what what they've they've done. Um Eagles, not sure kind of what what they're they're doing. Um, would love to see them figure out what they're gonna do with AJ. I guess I guess they keep him. Um so I love to see them, you know, move off of him, build the you know, the rest of the rest of the roster um there. But yeah, um I I don't see Philly going going far this year. Um if they're gonna run it back with Jalen Hurts and run it, it's gonna be the same, same issues that that they've had. So I'm not not liking that too much. Um, we see the Broncos got Waddle today, so um that that should help.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

Broncos receiving court. I don't think people realize Troy Franklin Courtland started to Jalen Waddle is a solid three. That is a solid like you got a speedster, you got a great possession receiver, and you got a you got a young one who was really starting to establish himself towards the end of the season. Um year three of Bo Nicks with Sean Payton and the Chiefs are still hurt. You don't know what the Chargers' offensive line situation is gonna be. The Raiders are the Raiders, the Broncos, uh they're not a sneaky AFC contender. I think that they are very out loud. Like again, they're a Bo Nicks injury away from going to the Super Bowl, like because the Patriots offense was not doing anything, so that's where I'm like, yeah, they I'm glad that they just said, you know what, we're running good back. That snow game was a fluke, and he again the snow aspect of it, because Jared City was performing well before the snow was coming down, so yeah, who knows what could happen.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

So yeah, I I'm more happy about who some of the good teams let go. The fact that they're they're managing their roster the right way. Um, the fact that Detroit, again, let Montgomery go. You know what I mean? They I see why they did that and what what they're doing there. The Kansas City Chiefs, you know, not signing in the corners and whatnot. Like that's a that's a strength of theirs to draft those positions. So build it that way, you know, let the guys raise their value, go to another team. But okay, you clearly have to pay my homes, although they're giving him the sinus bonus, signing bonus and deferring his money every year. Like they have a science to how they're managing it to stay at the top. Now, I don't know about the Kelsey signing. Yeah, that's a different story. But uh I don't get that.

SPEAKER_03 35:13

Because listen, bro, like, bro, your wife can boost the GDP of a country as soon as she lands, bro. I think you're good. I think there's no more you have to prove. You're at worst a top three tight end of all time. Like, you're not like you don't gotta do as much anymore, bro. Like, you're I think that Travis, there's no reason to run it back because Mahomes might not even be healthy, right? I like Justin Fields to be signed as like alerting under Mahomes so that he can go to another team and then turn up as 2028, and then they get like a Malik Willis type situation with Justin Fields. Like, let's say Mahomes is healthy, and you see like two or three games from Fields, and it's like, oh wow, Andy Reed really helped him out, and that helps boost his value towards that. That's what I like because he's always had the athletic running upside. I just need him to not throw for like 50 yards. Like, that's and I don't think you can do that in Andy Reed offense. So hopefully, this is a good this is the first time where he's gonna be surrounded with quality coaching with a B enemy and then Andy Reid, who's gonna coach him hard, and basically he might be called his number might be called on if Mahomes like rehab schedule isn't where it needs to be. So that's why I really like that time for the Chiefs as well as Kenneth Walker, because it allows the Chiefs to be more of a running team. Yeah, of course, with Devin Lloyd now. Again, it's a good move and bad move with the Panthers. Love Devin Lloyd for 15 million, hate Jalen Phyllis for 30 million. Like we could have done 25, give me 23 million. Like again, it five sacks, all the pressures. He turned the Eagles defense up, but again, the Eagles defense also has Jalen Carter in a great back and a phenomenal back end. We just had JC Horton and Mike Jackson. Our safeties aren't like the Eagles, our defensive line just mostly has Derrick Brown. So we're like, hey Jalen, we need you to basically be an like a 10-sack, 10-11 sack guy as soon as you come in. And we haven't seen that from him, you know? He has been injured before. I get it. I've seen his upside and his talent. I do love that, but I will say I'm just excited for Devin Lloyd more than more than um more than um, sorry, I forgot Jalen Phillips. And then after that, I really are other signings. I'm happy with. I'm happy that we got fixed the left tackle situation, got the guy from Green Bay. Okay, so I'm happy with that. Yeah, and I think we gotta go tight end of the draft, tight end or another linebacker. That's what our first time should be. Because I just need somebody to take it short, or we're just we're either gonna have to go the Houston route or build out the offense route. Like, I need us to either choose which part are we going to do where it's like Houston route, we have weapons, we have a tent and Jalen Coker. Bryce, just get the ball to them, we'll be straight, or do or is it Bryce? We're just gonna supercharge it with the weapons, you're gonna have to turn it up and win us the games. I prefer the defense strategy, honestly, because then I saw how the Super Bowl happened. You feel me? Yeah, that's what I would prefer. Like, I would say let's go linebacker. If not, if you want to go the offensive route, let's get a tight end. But yeah, definitely lead more towards the defensive side. Another team, I know they're in our division, it's the Saints, man. I just uh them getting Kane, Ellison Travis A chain. I love that how now he's like now he's like, okay, like this is how my name should be pronounced. I pre-Sacher Travis, like that they needed a boost in the running back room, they needed a boost in the linebacker core, they let DeMario Davis go. Cam Jordan's, I don't know if he's walking or not, but I do think that they really started to turn their team up and they got out of that salary cap hell that they put themselves in with all those contracts. So I'm very excited to see what they'll do with the draft. Um, another team, again, the Broncos, like you said, with they just lost Drake Greenlaw, but Drake Green Law and there and Franklin Myers, but other than that, defense is still the same, and you get Jaden Waddle. So, you know, whatever happens at the draft, we'll see. Um, I'm just there's one more team. Hold on. I think I also said the Chiefs was my winners. The losers again, the Eagles. Like, honestly, I don't see anybody coming out of the NFC that's a favorite other than the Ravens. The Ravens are the heaviest favorite I've seen out of the NFC in a long time. Because you look at you think of the divisions like Seattle has lost players, they lost Kenneth Walker, and they lost I think it it was um Tariq Woolen. So I don't necessarily feel great about Seattle as much as I did. The 49ers, they seem to be the old retirement home. Yeah, the Cardinals, we don't know what the heck they're doing. Then it's really the NFC North, but are we gonna trust the Vikings because Kevin O'Connell has yet to win a playoff game? Detroit, what you know what's going on? Like, is the players lost gonna like and lost on their offensive line? Can they handle that? Chicago, maybe, but like, do they have a pass rusher? And then like, I don't, I don't know. That's why the Rams are my heavy favorite to win the NFC. Now, AFC because of how good that they've gotten, because I think that they finally realized, hey, we can't have our quarterbacks be our saviors all the time. The boys of the NFC, they got they got they got defenses, bro. Like, we gotta make sure that we can that we can counterbalance this. So that's why I like how the winner, another winner. I would say is all the teams who have quarterbacks with a lot of money restructuring their content contracts, especially the Bills and Ravens, because they realize we got to get this rigged, like we restructure, you know, find more money to get some defenses to help y'all out, to get some more players to help y'all out. Because the NFC, that's how they've won. Again, outside of Patrick Mahomes-led teams, the teams who've won Super Bowls are well-rounded teams. Patrick Mahomes' magic has literally been the only thing that's kept has been the main thing that's kept the Chiefs winning these three Super Bowls. Tom Brady's winning the past 10 years is either Tyre Brady being great or Patrick Mahomes being great. The other teams have just been well-rounded on the offensive and defensive and offensive defense.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

So yeah, yeah, yeah. And um, I'm still curious about Max Crosby. Yes, like is he just gonna be back with the Raiders? I don't I don't see that. And so if he goes somewhere, where does he go? And that that that could be the deciding factor. Yeah, I mean, if he goes to the Bears, that's huge. If he goes to the Cowboys, I'm already liking what the Cowboys could potentially be with the other moves they've made on defense. So if you throw a Max on there, and I'm like, okay, uh I'm I'm liking what they can do. So that may decide a lot.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

Yeah, I think really Max Crosby being that final chess piece. I just hate that move. The Ravens, my thing is like y'all better win the ring because the karma from the NFL, if y'all don't, after y'all backed out, it's gonna get bad. It's gonna get bad. So all in all, I just hope for a great NFL season. It was already an all-timer last year. I think we had some of the most I think we had the most game of the year since I've been a fan of the NFL, but I had seen every other week. It seemed like there was a contender for game of the year. That's why I feel like the Super Bowl was a bit of a letdown.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

But you think yeah, that's the only thing. So, yeah, the the regular season has been good, had some good early playoff games. The fact that there's just one team on by now makes that first uh that wild card weekend better because you've got you know better teams. That number two seed is in it. So I love all that. So I think that's better. But we we we gotta get a better Super Bowl in in one of these years. Like we've got to get we gotta get Detroit, Buffalo, something, Ravens. One, we gotta get one of these other two. We gotta get we gotta get a star in the in in the Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_03 43:31

Because the last two, it's been you know, because it was the blowout, and then it was the defense. Like, I think everybody liked the Eagles one just because of Kendrick's performance and the fact that like the dynasty seemed to be destroyed. Like, that's what was the fan favorite of it, but it wasn't a really entertaining game. It's wasn't irritating if it was like a Chiefs hate watch, right? Right, but it wasn't like really a game. The year before was it where it was Chiefs Eagles? I think was that Chiefs Eagles. Eagles, or was that because I don't think it was uh Chiefs Niners and Chiefs Eagles. So it was Chiefs Niners exactly, was really good. Chiefs Eagles, the first one was really good because that was the 3835. The holding holding that wasn't a holding. So that's the thing. We do need that star power back in the Super Bowl because yeah, it was that was a well.

SPEAKER_01 44:23

We need the star power, and we need we need the fan base, yeah, of a of a big, you know, we need the big fan base that hadn't been there either ever or in a long time to get there. The Chicago, the Buffalo, the Ravens, the you know, one one of the we we got the Dallas. We we gotta get one of those in the Super Bowl. We get one of those in the Super Bowl, it don't matter who they play, and it don't matter how the game is. If we could just get one of those fan bases in the Super Bowl, I think that would be huge.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

And me for me, for Dallas, like this is this is your year to win the division, dog. Like the commanders, yes, they're good, and Jaden Daniels might be back, but I don't know how that's gonna go. It's really there. I really think the Cowboys can win this division. The Giants, they're sneaking with their additions, you know, they're becoming Ravens East. But I do find it funny that John Harbaugh did not sign Phileley or Zach Orr. Like you did get the defensive coordinator or your terrible offensive lineman, but you got every other good player from the Ravens. I like that type of petty. You know what, John? You know, I did like you as a coach for that team, but I respect I respect petty games like that, man. So I'm excited. Again, I'm really excited to see what next season's gonna hold, who's gonna really shine, who's really gonna, what's gonna be the worst of first team. And again, as the Panthers, as a Panthers fan, look, it's put up, it's a put-up or shut up year. Like, yes, we snuck in, we gave the Rams a run for their money. Hooray. We gotta, it's we can win this division. There's there's no question. Atlanta's floundering, Tampa's losing good players left and right, they're getting tired of Baker and Todd Bowles. It's time, it's time to really plant the flag. So I'm really excited. But anyway, this has been a phenomenal show, Derek. I'm really excited to see this tournament. I'm excited for the playoffs. And you know what news do you have to share with the audience?

SPEAKER_01 46:24

Oh,

Radio Deal And Final Shoutouts

SPEAKER_01 46:25

yeah, yeah. Well, Bick of Pros, um, our flagship show, Who You Got, is being picked up by 104.5 FM WCCG out of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Ville, home of J. Cole, and a lot of other greats. So uh we'll be on their uh network, their network for uh that show, and then that's gonna lead to other opportunities and other shows uh following suit. So that's the start of many. They're also a Duke, uh, men's basketball and football um partner. So we'll be uh talking Duke athletics uh through that as well. So much more to come with that. So first of many big deals coming for picking pros.

SPEAKER_03 47:06

All right, so shout out to that. All right, and again, shout out to everything again. Day 24, just turn 24 on March 12th. So again, I'm just grateful for this show, grateful for everything, grateful for again, Derek putting me in this position, you know, and really just looking out and helping me these past two years since we moved back to North Carolina. So again, boss, appreciate you again. I'm so excited to see us continue this. And you know, we're out. So, you know, no weekend, yeah. All right, good bro.