I love the skepticism of the Rockets. They haven't proven anything yet. I'm looking forward to them making a decent run in the post season. I think they'll just miss the WCF. Jabari is on track like most of the core is. Jalen Green finding consistency is the only major question mark. I believe their best basketball is ahead of them this year. Great video. Fair take.
@imdbtruth hater lmao they've been a top 3 team in the west since the beginning of the season. Definitely not a play in team. Defense alone will keep them as a top 4-5 seed.
@Daniel-rc2bu No way they'll finish in the top 5 unless they make a major trade. By the time February rolls around, the Rockets will be back in 6-8th place in the standings, which is where they belong.
Your thoughts on the rockets are fair. Mostly agree. We can win a R1 depending on the match up. Experience and consistent scoring are gonna be tough in a playoff series
as a rockets fan u are 100% correct. need to make a move to be serious about this season, without one we’re gonna fizzle out in the playoffs. but i dont think we drop past 4th-5th seed if at all.
From funky rebuilds to one of the best educators of the game out right now keep it up funky an old school rebuild series would do numbers no one makes storylines like you lmao
As a rockets fan I’m just glad we are in the conversation I know Sengun and Amen are playing well and Jalen has had some solid moments and so has Dillion Brooks But I love how Jabari been playing he has been playing some really solid basketball and that’s due to him finally knocking down his threes if Jabari continues to play like this we could be a dangerous team in the playoffs But yeah OKC is the favorite I don’t see any team in the west beating them I could see Memphis and Dallas giving them a scare but that’s it
Dallas has yet to prove anything yet, OKC is the western conference champions last season and the #1 seed this season. It’s all OKC and no team in the west can touch them!
@@allenxavier6073Dallas is kinda like Houston, we really don’t know much about them and they don’t have that all-star player that u can rely on when the playoffs comes around. OKC has been to the finals and WCF a few seasons ago, so they know what it’s like to go deep in the playoffs.
I personally am not buying into the Rockets. Their halfcourt offense isn’t good which is what things come down to in the playoffs. They’re a good team but I’d be more scared of Jokic coming out of the 7th seed or something
that’s honestly a fair take. i’m a rockets fan but i do agree that our offense is absolutely horrid, but i think you can’t underestimate our defense. most of our offense comes straight from our defense, and if it’s leading to our current offense still being top 15 in the league then imagine what it could look like come playoff time if we improve on that end.
Love your videos funky been watching for awhile. Have you ever thought of voicing over film to help visually illustrate what you’re taking about and make your vids even more entertaining? I think that would also help boost your audience as it takes real ball nerds to just listen to someone yap about plays and actions. Merry Christmas guy
He did that briefly years ago and stopped for some reason, iirc back then(5-7 years ago roughly so a long time ago) a lot of bots would falsely copyright claim stuff(in this case NBA clips) and steal monetization off videos while the person who made the video tried to appeal to TH-cam the process was long and took multiple weeks to a month and if that happens where you get three strikes the channel in question gets banned no ifs ands or buts. TH-cam is very bad at dealing with that stuff and it was a big problem on here for a long time.
As a Rockets fan, I'm just happy that they're in this conversation, man. And you're absolutely right, they're not there yet as a legit contender but they just never give up so who the fuck knows?
Ngl even tho the West is stacked from the looks of it right now shi looks wide open for the Thunder, only team that I think will give them trouble is Dallas.
The fun thing with the rockets is that they have beat Memphis, okc and Dallas, so it will be really interesting to see if they can do it in the playoffs, but totally agree that they probably won’t… BUT THEY MIGHT
As a Rockets fan, I totally agree, our offense is honestly abysmal. The fact that we are currently the 2 seed just proves how insane our defense is, and if we can improve on the offensive side of the ball I really think we can turn some heads in the postseason.
They aren’t that scary and they aren’t gonna do anything in the playoffs. I love Kawhi but he’s done for and can’t stay healthy. He had a good run but he should consider retiring having trouble staying healthy isn’t anything new we’ve seen from him and may just be a shell of his former self
With him coming back late in the season , it’s not inconceivable for him to be healthy in the post season . He’s due as usual , a crazy 30 game run that he has every single year. Last year from December into late February he was absolutely unstoppable efficiency wise .
Regarding who the Mavs top defender is, check out their first game against the Thunder. They put PJ on SGA and I'd say he did a pretty damn good job. That seems to be their go to guy if they want to shut someone down. He's big, athletic and isn't afraid to get physical. He's not on DJJ's level, but he is exponentially better at defense from his time with the Hornets. PJ is definitely the one Kidd trusts most with those assignments, though I would still say the Mavs could use one more strong wing defender, but even then PJ might still get the nod, he's been really impressive.
I can't for the life of me understand why the National media didn't recognize PJ has always been one of our main stoppers for stars. And Kyrie guarded Harden most the series LAST Year. Catch up yall
Dallas has won like 14 of their last 17 games. What can they do to bolster their contender status? Maybe trade for another ball handler and scorer in Jerami Grant? Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith are the other options. The Mavs have two first rounders and matching salary to spare.
The Mavs have almost no salary to match at all, that is why a guy like grant is basically impossible. Kleber, Hardy and O-Max are really the only contracts i see them being willing to trade and that adds up to around 20 mil.
@@cadrollhunting3564 Hardy isn't tradeable this season since they extended him. The only thing the Mavs really need is to bolster their backup 4 spot. I think a Maxi for DFS trade would be ideal, but we'll see.
I doubt Dallas will make any trades. It's working right now. They just need to keep building chemistry as a team and use their depth to keep everyone a bit more fresh for a playoff run.
@HoopsAficionado They made the Finals last year and STILL appear to be one of the few 'complete' teams in the league. They don't need to add or make changes. That should only happen after this season, depending on their playoffs results
@@cadrollhunting3564 Kleber is on an expiring. Some have suggested Gafford be included in the tradeable contracts category but he's a good back-up for Lively who gets injured sometimes. The rest will have to be filler contracts like Dwight Powell. The issue is they used their tradeable salaries in the Quinton Grimes trade and Klay Thompson sign-and-trade.
All the concerns people have with the Nuggets are legitimate, but might not matter at all because Jokic is just pure greatness. Murray has looked better lately, but he still can’t stay on the floor, and if he’s not healthy, they are likely cooked.
I think its unfair to talk about the Suns/Wolves but not about the Spurs. They are more of a contender than those other teams. They are like second in the NBA in crunch time so they can be a frustrating first round exit too
They could be sneaky next year and got a lot of draft capital to use in the future and build around Wendy and Castle I think they’ll be like the Rockets and Thunder and improve because of it soon to be contenders (even tho I doubt the Thunder being a heavy favorite to come out of the west this season will win it all I got Dallas beating them even tho like the Spurs have more draft capital than Dallas.) I got high hopes for the Spurs
@@futurehofer1564Sabonis would be good for the Hornets but there no way they are taking him because of one his contract and two like you mentioned they probably don’t want to take minutes away from Mark Williams
@@jalenjohnson0339 Charlotte would *have* to give up Mark, Bridges & Sabonis. That's a good package to receive for Sabonis. Could Sacramento get a better offer? Sure. But that hypothetical Charlotte trade ain't too bad
Why Sabonis to the hornets? Like they are a rebuilding team only reason is maybe to free up space but doesn’t Sabonis still have years on his contract? Not saying it’s a lost season but I just don’t see why the kings and charlotte make that trade
You missed the fact that PJ was out sick for the OKC game. He normally plays SGA (not every possession, but enough to give him headaches) as well as being a consistent 3pt shooter and Mavs 2nd best rebounder. OKC is missing Chet so obviously we don't know which team is better at full strength, but for that game there is no question PJ would have been a huge factor for the Mavs (as he was in their first meeting when they beat OKC without Luka). Jones was a 20mpg player averaging 7ppg. People GREATLY exaggerate how positive his influence was for this team. Boston's entire Finals defensive scheme revolved around giving him and the other role players open shots and hoping they'd try them. He's on the Clippers now, putting up a triple single every night and helping them be a 500 team. Let's stop with with the crying for the good old days of DJJ. Without him they are top 4 offensively and top 10 defensively. They went through a losing streak (4 single possession losses against 3 playoff teams and Utah) when Washington was out with a knee strain, and since he has come back they are 14-3, and that's with Luka missing 6 games and Kyrie missing 2 (and each of the centers missing 1 or 2 games). Dallas has had the worst luck of anyone in basketball (sorry Chet), plus played the toughest schedule (most playoff teams or teams currently in playoff position) and they're 19-10. OKC is still a tough matchup and we don't know about Boston & the Cavs, but they've beaten every other top team in the league (including OKC) despite the injuries and problems acclimating new players. Easily a top 4 team, and honestly should be considered top 2.
@@TheChordstruckPony Not really uneven, but the matchup would look completely different if either team was at full strength. I still believe Mavs win a 7 game series with both teams fully healthy, but we won't have any real evidence to go off of until we actually see that matchup.
@@connor_phillipz5689nah I believe Dallas can win it in a 7 game series. You’ve made valid points, but thinking about it the Thunder still lack some postseason experience as a whole team for most of their guys on their roster and haven’t played in a game 7 to my knowledge and the Mavs have. The only guy I can think of to play a game 7 on the Thunder is Hart, while the Mavs have Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Dinwiddie and Kleber (tho I doubt he’ll be with the Mavs after the trade deadline), I think the Mavs can wear out the young Thunder in a game 7 like they did against the Suns in a game 7 in 2022 when the Suns were a heavy favorite to win the series but got spanked by Dallas while being the home team, and we also saw Dallas destroy the Timberwolves last season in the WCF when they had the better defense and still lost so I wouldn’t say all odds are against Dallas. I know those were different teams then but Dallas can put up a fight and win as underdogs from what we’ve seen from Luka and his teammates. Have to see it to know it’s correct but this is just my theory but I can see them meeting each other in the WCF this year and go to a game 7. Still gonna pick Dallas to go back to the finals and predict it to be a rematch of last year’s finals but Dallas has more weapons to beat everyone on a revenge tour. Should still be a good matchup to watch.
Look, I know PJ played out of his mind in last years matchup. But he doesn’t really have a ton of sway when it comes to winning games on a nightly basis. Comparing him to Chet is borderline laughable, but if Chet is getting bullied on defense then I guess it kind of depends the matchup. Hartenstein completely changes the matchup with Dallas. And the only thing I see wrong with the Thunder is that they can’t buy a bucket from three at times this year. Dallas could shoot OKC out of games because OKC can get cold and stay that way with stagnant iso ball. But more than likely OKC will suffocate the interior on Defense and adjust to PJ corner threes with quicker close outs this year. OKC is a better team, there’s not really an argument for Dallas that could convince me Dallas is any better than last year, and OKC should have played better than Dallas last year in the playoffs. But OKC still has to show they can win when pressure is high and I’m not convinced they can until I see it happen.
For me the favs in that conference so far is thunder and maybe mavs so far a lot of big teams did not deliver and I am still unsure about the rockets because in the playoff it will be veryyy hard to win if you cant be efficient offensively just look at the magic last year you need to be better offensively Lakers warriors and nuggets are just not good enough
I think clippers can be contenders if kawhi can stay healthy for the playoffs. I think the way the season schedule was set up worked out, kawhi can come back late December early january. Then rest for a bit.
Neither of them really being slept on, but I doubt OKC gonna win the west when I believe Dallas gonna this year just for the sake of being hungry to go back and win the finals after losing last year. Thunder could probably win it in a year or two but it’s probably not it right now for them
@@justap7164okc is still young... they will hone their skills for the better. If luka stays healthy until the playoffs, then it s a brutal battle between okc and dallas!! 🎉
I would not say they slept on more so they ain’t got playoff experience in a stacked western conference if anything they have made a great leap so even if they lose in say round one that’s nothing to scoff at
The West is going to come down to the Mavs vs the Thunder. The West is stacked overall, but the top of the conference is really just those 2 teams. Noone else has the level of roster that they do. Barring some insane hot streak or blockbuster trade noone else in the west is beating the Mavs or Thunder in a 7 game series.
Kings need to trade Demar, Huerter and 2 1st rd picks for Cam Johnson and DFS. Or at the very least trade Demar for Kuzma and Trey Lyles for Chris Boucher for decent rim protecting along with 3 point shooting. Flip Huerter for Timelord and a second. That's all the Kings need to compete not saying their title contender but they can compete with anyone with the right pieces. Fox Ellis Cj/Kuz Keggan Sabonis bench unit Devin Carter Monk DFS/Colby J Chris B and Timelord is a good team.
@@edijs4d no if the first trade can't happen with Demar and Huerter then do the second one. Demar and 1 2nd rd pick for Kuzma then trade Huerter 1 second rd pick for Rob Williams or Huerter and multiple seconds or 1st rd pick for DSF
It's almost 2025, and y'all still have faith in the clippers 🤣 Kawhi is just gonna get injured again, and their lack of star talent is gonna hurt them.
a fully healthy grizzlies team might have a chance, jaylen wells (the rookie) is playing really well on defense against top players and their bench is very strong
@xaviermill7440Not the same Thunder team. They were one of the youngest teams. Now they've added two good players and got rid of a bad one. And by being young, naturally they've gotten better.
It's literally Curry, who's 36 now, and role players. This would be the perfect time for a young guy to make the leap and take more of the load off Curry but the Warriors wasted a pick on Wiseman and the other guys aren't good enough to become stars.
@@marioooletsgoooo soooo you're saying the refs are allowing Shai to be second in the western conference in FT attempts by minimizing the rest of the teams free throw attempts?
@heat2652 . Only 2 other go to the free throw line less than okc..😂 SGA also drives the ball more than any other guard in the league. Of course he's going to get fouled.
Pretenders/Potenders should be the title of the video.. Houston and OKC are still early for their timeline grizzlies are just grizzlies when its playoffs..
OKC this season currently has the 5th best SRS (simple rating system) of all time WITHOUT their 2nd best player. They are head and shoulders above Houston and Memphis lmao
I think OKC is seasoned enough, but I think Dallas would win a series against them. I'm not a believer in the Rockets as currently constructed. The Nuggets, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns aren't real contenders to win it all imo, but those are dangerous teams, I could see one of them upsetting OKC or Dallas. I don't think it will happen, but facing guys like KD, Steph, Jokic, and Ja in a playoff series is always going to be a real battle.
I don't understand how you could possibly think the Nuggets only issue is a backup Center. They have holes all over their roster and they don't have anywhere close to the assets to fix it.
@@AngelValdez-d5g cry like a baby. He already won a chip and multiple MVPs. Calling him a fraud like you’d do better than he has. Sounds like you don’t know how good he actually is bet you’ll see him beat a 50 win team in the playoffs soon and 50 wins from the regular season don’t matter in the playoffs. You forget that didn’t matter even after he won one championship and finals MVP the same season?
@@AngelValdez-d5g The fact that you have to use a strawman from the get go to make an argument, that tells everything I need to know about you. Also, the Lakers were good enough to reach the WCF and Miami to outright win their Conference but they're still not "good" teams lmao. Ok, buddy. The good teams were the 50+ squads that lost to them, right? LMAO
kinda cut off luka in the thumbnail a little my bad
x.com/FunkyDiabetic1
You just trying to make him lose some weight to become a goat. Its all good as a diabetic you have best intentions. Ty!
is actually wild how good this guy is at knowing the NBA
And doesn't need drama to make it interesting.
@@ianp3063100%
bro a chill guy fr.
No clickbaity titles or rage bait, just pure hoops discourse.
@@shadow_realm47fr, hes just a chill guy who knows ball😂
I love the skepticism of the Rockets. They haven't proven anything yet. I'm looking forward to them making a decent run in the post season. I think they'll just miss the WCF.
Jabari is on track like most of the core is. Jalen Green finding consistency is the only major question mark.
I believe their best basketball is ahead of them this year. Great video. Fair take.
I think they'll get bounced in the first round. I also wouldn't be surprised if they fall back in the standings and end up in the play-in tournament.
I appreciate your high expectations in the playoffs for us! 🔥 🚀
@imdbtruth hater lmao they've been a top 3 team in the west since the beginning of the season. Definitely not a play in team. Defense alone will keep them as a top 4-5 seed.
@Daniel-rc2bu No way they'll finish in the top 5 unless they make a major trade. By the time February rolls around, the Rockets will be back in 6-8th place in the standings, which is where they belong.
@@imdbtruthhaven’t been following the rockets lately, but why do you think this?
This guy has NBA knowledge better than the "experts
So true, only guy I’ve actually liked listening to since 2018
imo the only "expert" on tv is tim legler. the rest of them are morons.
This is one of the most unbiased and honest assessments of the Mavs I’ve heard. Appreciate that
Waddup Funky merry Christmas bro cheers
I've been saying the undisputed best players in the league are Jokic, Luka and Giannis. No one else is an actual candidate for best in the league
Donovan Mitchell
@@fentazen2677sorry not the same level of player as Luka , Giannis or Jokic
SGA plays both ends. Luka?
Must be a Luka fan. No one thinks Luka has been better than SGA or Tatum this year.
@@bruin9507 he's number 2 in steals
perfect for a dinner meal
Your thoughts on the rockets are fair. Mostly agree. We can win a R1 depending on the match up. Experience and consistent scoring are gonna be tough in a playoff series
as a rockets fan u are 100% correct. need to make a move to be serious about this season, without one we’re gonna fizzle out in the playoffs. but i dont think we drop past 4th-5th seed if at all.
Y’all are such a good team coming from a grizzlies fan, knew 100% y’all were gonna be good this year and the defense is incredible 🚀💯
From funky rebuilds to one of the best educators of the game out right now keep it up funky an old school rebuild series would do numbers no one makes storylines like you lmao
Nuggets champs this year 🏆
A ring for Russ!
@@pieman737Never gna happen keep dreaming
Doubt it Denver got worse and I mess with Jokic
As a rockets fan I’m just glad we are in the conversation I know Sengun and Amen are playing well and Jalen has had some solid moments and so has Dillion Brooks
But I love how Jabari been playing he has been playing some really solid basketball and that’s due to him finally knocking down his threes if Jabari continues to play like this we could be a dangerous team in the playoffs
But yeah OKC is the favorite I don’t see any team in the west beating them I could see Memphis and Dallas giving them a scare but that’s it
Dallas beats them in a 7 game series
Dallas has yet to prove anything yet, OKC is the western conference champions last season and the #1 seed this season. It’s all OKC and no team in the west can touch them!
@@JerrySteakhouse42OKC got bounced in the 2nd round last playoffs, TF are you talking bout?
How do you feel about playing Amen in crunch time
@@allenxavier6073Dallas is kinda like Houston, we really don’t know much about them and they don’t have that all-star player that u can rely on when the playoffs comes around. OKC has been to the finals and WCF a few seasons ago, so they know what it’s like to go deep in the playoffs.
Look at my rockets 😢 so proud
We've been through hell the last few years mannn
Russ has been amazing I hope he gets his deserved ring this year. Nuggets just need a few tweaks in the roster and they winning it all
I personally am not buying into the Rockets. Their halfcourt offense isn’t good which is what things come down to in the playoffs. They’re a good team but I’d be more scared of Jokic coming out of the 7th seed or something
You underestimate the power of defense.
that’s honestly a fair take. i’m a rockets fan but i do agree that our offense is absolutely horrid, but i think you can’t underestimate our defense.
most of our offense comes straight from our defense, and if it’s leading to our current offense still being top 15 in the league then imagine what it could look like come playoff time if we improve on that end.
@@ir0nfistalexdefense means way less in the playoffs compared to bring able to create your own shot
Love your videos funky been watching for awhile. Have you ever thought of voicing over film to help visually illustrate what you’re taking about and make your vids even more entertaining? I think that would also help boost your audience as it takes real ball nerds to just listen to someone yap about plays and actions. Merry Christmas guy
He did that briefly years ago and stopped for some reason, iirc back then(5-7 years ago roughly so a long time ago) a lot of bots would falsely copyright claim stuff(in this case NBA clips) and steal monetization off videos while the person who made the video tried to appeal to TH-cam the process was long and took multiple weeks to a month and if that happens where you get three strikes the channel in question gets banned no ifs ands or buts. TH-cam is very bad at dealing with that stuff and it was a big problem on here for a long time.
As a Rockets fan, I'm just happy that they're in this conversation, man. And you're absolutely right, they're not there yet as a legit contender but they just never give up so who the fuck knows?
Ngl even tho the West is stacked from the looks of it right now shi looks wide open for the Thunder, only team that I think will give them trouble is Dallas.
So you're saying it's wide open for Dallas
The Mavs will definitely give them trouble, and vice versa. It would be a very hard fought series I'm sure!
The Nuggets could take out anyone in a 7-game series
@@dreivsall Dallas would smoke Denver if Murray doesn't show up. But even if he did, advantage Dallas
@@redeemedpoetYTwatcher I think so, too. They have some bigs that could bother Joker. But I would never count them out
The fun thing with the rockets is that they have beat Memphis, okc and Dallas, so it will be really interesting to see if they can do it in the playoffs, but totally agree that they probably won’t… BUT THEY MIGHT
They can steal a game or two with their defense but don’t have enough offense.
I predict the Rockets who are currently in 2nd at 20-9 will fade as the season goes on, and they'll end up in the play-in tournament.
@@imdbtruthyeah and even if they make playoffs they ain’t making it past the first round
The Thunder have also beaten the Rockets by 10+ twice this season
As a Rockets fan, I totally agree, our offense is honestly abysmal.
The fact that we are currently the 2 seed just proves how insane our defense is, and if we can improve on the offensive side of the ball I really think we can turn some heads in the postseason.
Grizzlies mentioned!
Clippers gotta stay out of the lottery, I don’t want OKC getting a star out of this draft
You no they have a Philly pick to
OKC just gave Caruso an extension.
Is Topić even going to have any playing time next season? 😅
Waiting for Kawhi's season debut and everyone to lose their minds about Clippers.
They aren’t that scary and they aren’t gonna do anything in the playoffs. I love Kawhi but he’s done for and can’t stay healthy. He had a good run but he should consider retiring having trouble staying healthy isn’t anything new we’ve seen from him and may just be a shell of his former self
I wonder if that happened in the last two seasons
@@justap7164if I’m Kawhi I’m getting that money
With him coming back late in the season , it’s not inconceivable for him to be healthy in the post season . He’s due as usual , a crazy 30 game run that he has every single year. Last year from December into late February he was absolutely unstoppable efficiency wise .
Funny guy😂
Damn don't think I've ever been this early
man luka😞 hope for a speedy recovery
Accurate on the rockets, they’re in a similar position to okc last year, we know they’re good but young and inexperienced
Regarding who the Mavs top defender is, check out their first game against the Thunder. They put PJ on SGA and I'd say he did a pretty damn good job. That seems to be their go to guy if they want to shut someone down. He's big, athletic and isn't afraid to get physical. He's not on DJJ's level, but he is exponentially better at defense from his time with the Hornets.
PJ is definitely the one Kidd trusts most with those assignments, though I would still say the Mavs could use one more strong wing defender, but even then PJ might still get the nod, he's been really impressive.
I can't for the life of me understand why the National media didn't recognize PJ has always been one of our main stoppers for stars. And Kyrie guarded Harden most the series LAST Year. Catch up yall
Clippers is Loki slept on.. & this is even without Kawhi
lowkey bro
Even tho I don’t like them, they definitely slept on and have a good roster
"Without Kawhi" is pretty much their true form. I've lost all hope for a comeback from him. His body just keep on failing.
@@zuzsyycosmos who cares bro, u know what I mean
That marvel show was bananas!
Dallas has won like 14 of their last 17 games. What can they do to bolster their contender status? Maybe trade for another ball handler and scorer in Jerami Grant? Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith are the other options. The Mavs have two first rounders and matching salary to spare.
The Mavs have almost no salary to match at all, that is why a guy like grant is basically impossible. Kleber, Hardy and O-Max are really the only contracts i see them being willing to trade and that adds up to around 20 mil.
@@cadrollhunting3564 Hardy isn't tradeable this season since they extended him. The only thing the Mavs really need is to bolster their backup 4 spot. I think a Maxi for DFS trade would be ideal, but we'll see.
I doubt Dallas will make any trades. It's working right now. They just need to keep building chemistry as a team and use their depth to keep everyone a bit more fresh for a playoff run.
@HoopsAficionado They made the Finals last year and STILL appear to be one of the few 'complete' teams in the league.
They don't need to add or make changes. That should only happen after this season, depending on their playoffs results
@@cadrollhunting3564 Kleber is on an expiring. Some have suggested Gafford be included in the tradeable contracts category but he's a good back-up for Lively who gets injured sometimes. The rest will have to be filler contracts like Dwight Powell. The issue is they used their tradeable salaries in the Quinton Grimes trade and Klay Thompson sign-and-trade.
All the concerns people have with the Nuggets are legitimate, but might not matter at all because Jokic is just pure greatness. Murray has looked better lately, but he still can’t stay on the floor, and if he’s not healthy, they are likely cooked.
'a bunch of free throws' like the mavs didn't literally have 30 more than the grizzlies. nice video , thanks
I think its unfair to talk about the Suns/Wolves but not about the Spurs. They are more of a contender than those other teams. They are like second in the NBA in crunch time so they can be a frustrating first round exit too
They could be sneaky next year and got a lot of draft capital to use in the future and build around Wendy and Castle I think they’ll be like the Rockets and Thunder and improve because of it soon to be contenders (even tho I doubt the Thunder being a heavy favorite to come out of the west this season will win it all I got Dallas beating them even tho like the Spurs have more draft capital than Dallas.) I got high hopes for the Spurs
Kings blow it up: Fox to the Rockets and Sabonis to the Hornets
What would the Rockets and Hornets give up? Why would the Hornets get a veteran player?
@@futurehofer1564Sabonis would be good for the Hornets but there no way they are taking him because of one his contract and two like you mentioned they probably don’t want to take minutes away from Mark Williams
@@jalenjohnson0339 Charlotte would *have* to give up Mark, Bridges & Sabonis.
That's a good package to receive for Sabonis. Could Sacramento get a better offer? Sure.
But that hypothetical Charlotte trade ain't too bad
Why Sabonis to the hornets? Like they are a rebuilding team only reason is maybe to free up space but doesn’t Sabonis still have years on his contract? Not saying it’s a lost season but I just don’t see why the kings and charlotte make that trade
fox to spurs, rockets, or magic (preferably in that order)
Kings situation is one to watch
They ain't making the playoffs. They're done
you never made the east conference video and already made 2 west ones😭😭
West is more interesting for him 😅, which i agree! More dense and stacked
You missed the fact that PJ was out sick for the OKC game. He normally plays SGA (not every possession, but enough to give him headaches) as well as being a consistent 3pt shooter and Mavs 2nd best rebounder. OKC is missing Chet so obviously we don't know which team is better at full strength, but for that game there is no question PJ would have been a huge factor for the Mavs (as he was in their first meeting when they beat OKC without Luka).
Jones was a 20mpg player averaging 7ppg. People GREATLY exaggerate how positive his influence was for this team. Boston's entire Finals defensive scheme revolved around giving him and the other role players open shots and hoping they'd try them. He's on the Clippers now, putting up a triple single every night and helping them be a 500 team. Let's stop with with the crying for the good old days of DJJ. Without him they are top 4 offensively and top 10 defensively.
They went through a losing streak (4 single possession losses against 3 playoff teams and Utah) when Washington was out with a knee strain, and since he has come back they are 14-3, and that's with Luka missing 6 games and Kyrie missing 2 (and each of the centers missing 1 or 2 games). Dallas has had the worst luck of anyone in basketball (sorry Chet), plus played the toughest schedule (most playoff teams or teams currently in playoff position) and they're 19-10. OKC is still a tough matchup and we don't know about Boston & the Cavs, but they've beaten every other top team in the league (including OKC) despite the injuries and problems acclimating new players. Easily a top 4 team, and honestly should be considered top 2.
And OKC were without a starter too. So you can't call it uneven.
Man wrote a fucking manifesto on Dallas 😂
@@TheChordstruckPony Not really uneven, but the matchup would look completely different if either team was at full strength. I still believe Mavs win a 7 game series with both teams fully healthy, but we won't have any real evidence to go off of until we actually see that matchup.
@@connor_phillipz5689nah I believe Dallas can win it in a 7 game series. You’ve made valid points, but thinking about it the Thunder still lack some postseason experience as a whole team for most of their guys on their roster and haven’t played in a game 7 to my knowledge and the Mavs have. The only guy I can think of to play a game 7 on the Thunder is Hart, while the Mavs have Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Dinwiddie and Kleber (tho I doubt he’ll be with the Mavs after the trade deadline), I think the Mavs can wear out the young Thunder in a game 7 like they did against the Suns in a game 7 in 2022 when the Suns were a heavy favorite to win the series but got spanked by Dallas while being the home team, and we also saw Dallas destroy the Timberwolves last season in the WCF when they had the better defense and still lost so I wouldn’t say all odds are against Dallas. I know those were different teams then but Dallas can put up a fight and win as underdogs from what we’ve seen from Luka and his teammates. Have to see it to know it’s correct but this is just my theory but I can see them meeting each other in the WCF this year and go to a game 7. Still gonna pick Dallas to go back to the finals and predict it to be a rematch of last year’s finals but Dallas has more weapons to beat everyone on a revenge tour. Should still be a good matchup to watch.
Look, I know PJ played out of his mind in last years matchup. But he doesn’t really have a ton of sway when it comes to winning games on a nightly basis. Comparing him to Chet is borderline laughable, but if Chet is getting bullied on defense then I guess it kind of depends the matchup. Hartenstein completely changes the matchup with Dallas. And the only thing I see wrong with the Thunder is that they can’t buy a bucket from three at times this year. Dallas could shoot OKC out of games because OKC can get cold and stay that way with stagnant iso ball. But more than likely OKC will suffocate the interior on Defense and adjust to PJ corner threes with quicker close outs this year. OKC is a better team, there’s not really an argument for Dallas that could convince me Dallas is any better than last year, and OKC should have played better than Dallas last year in the playoffs. But OKC still has to show they can win when pressure is high and I’m not convinced they can until I see it happen.
You have it on the audio speed on 1.5 I can tell
For me the favs in that conference so far is thunder and maybe mavs so far a lot of big teams did not deliver and I am still unsure about the rockets because in the playoff it will be veryyy hard to win if you cant be efficient offensively just look at the magic last year you need to be better offensively
Lakers warriors and nuggets are just not good enough
I think clippers can be contenders if kawhi can stay healthy for the playoffs. I think the way the season schedule was set up worked out, kawhi can come back late December early january. Then rest for a bit.
can’t believe bro forgot to put the timber puppies on this list smh
Dallas look like the most solid Western team to make the Finals
Houston keeps winning and everyone just keeps sleeping on them lol.... i got okc winning the West, but Houston is not to be slept on
Neither of them really being slept on, but I doubt OKC gonna win the west when I believe Dallas gonna this year just for the sake of being hungry to go back and win the finals after losing last year. Thunder could probably win it in a year or two but it’s probably not it right now for them
@@justap7164okc is still young... they will hone their skills for the better. If luka stays healthy until the playoffs, then it s a brutal battle between okc and dallas!! 🎉
I would not say they slept on more so they ain’t got playoff experience in a stacked western conference if anything they have made a great leap so even if they lose in say round one that’s nothing to scoff at
They need to get rid of conferences
Disparity is crazy
No need to change the playoffs 'conference' format.
Too many changes are what's wrong with the league today
@ColdHoops we got trash ass eastern teams making the playoffs over the competitive western teams
Ja is not the question mark. Nobody even brings up GG or Vince
I genuinely think Cleveland is still a fluke
They are good contendors but i think it will take time to reach the playoffs...
What about the lakers 😭
😂😂
I like the joker's offense but he plays no defense. Like none
reminder grizzlies have beaten 4 teams above .500. dont know who game them the easiest schedule in the nba
Yeah cause they’re totally responsible for who they play against 😂 sounding like a Celtics hater rn
Yo funky…people are saying you might be the GOAT you know people are saying dawg, people are saying…………..
The Western Conference Owns Luka and Irving ✨🎩
Hahaha starring Alright Boyz like you know there are no girls whatcing
Warriors 😔
Lakers are contenders too right? 🤓
They arent contenders until Adam Silver and the ref mafia decides it
Contenders for a play in.😂
OKC Mavs and Nuggets...Those are the only Contenders in the West
No disrespect to Memphis and Houston but they are not a threat
The nuggets aren’t contenders. Everyone saying how good the west and I’m like calm down they only got 2 real contenders
Kings winning the g league championship
Love my rockets but they aren't contenders. They have potential though
The West is going to come down to the Mavs vs the Thunder. The West is stacked overall, but the top of the conference is really just those 2 teams. Noone else has the level of roster that they do. Barring some insane hot streak or blockbuster trade noone else in the west is beating the Mavs or Thunder in a 7 game series.
No love for the clips 😢
I see u forget ja is a playoff elevator
Kings need to trade Demar, Huerter and 2 1st rd picks for Cam Johnson and DFS. Or at the very least trade Demar for Kuzma and Trey Lyles for Chris Boucher for decent rim protecting along with 3 point shooting. Flip Huerter for Timelord and a second. That's all the Kings need to compete not saying their title contender but they can compete with anyone with the right pieces. Fox Ellis Cj/Kuz Keggan Sabonis bench unit Devin Carter Monk DFS/Colby J Chris B and Timelord is a good team.
Huerter coming back to Kings just for them to ship him again? Or am I missing something
@@edijs4d no if the first trade can't happen with Demar and Huerter then do the second one. Demar and 1 2nd rd pick for Kuzma then trade Huerter 1 second rd pick for Rob Williams or Huerter and multiple seconds or 1st rd pick for DSF
Hello
lol rockets 2-1 vs okc but yeah not enough talent .. make it make sense
It's always Houston vs EVERYBODY bro it's gonna be like that until we shut them up w a ring.
1-2 actually …
Sleeping on the clippers
It's almost 2025, and y'all still have faith in the clippers 🤣 Kawhi is just gonna get injured again, and their lack of star talent is gonna hurt them.
What are they going to do
@@IDK-0402maybe until the end of the playoffs, he still wouldnt even play 😂😂😂
I can’t see anyone beating a healthy okc team in a series…coming from a die hard rockets fan.
Celtics and Bucks could beat the Thunder. Not sure if any West team can though.
A fully healthy Mavs team beat fully healthy okc.
a fully healthy grizzlies team might have a chance, jaylen wells (the rookie) is playing really well on defense against top players and their bench is very strong
If the Mavs are healthy they're beating the Thunder again.
@xaviermill7440Not the same Thunder team. They were one of the youngest teams. Now they've added two good players and got rid of a bad one. And by being young, naturally they've gotten better.
Crazy how the Warriors fell off this season
If you mean during the season it was primarily strength of schedule that led to that.
Curry is kinda washed now not worth as much as hes playing 10pts 2pts not aggressive at all. Hes goes scoreless every first half
@@Ruleyy that's actually crazy
It's literally Curry, who's 36 now, and role players. This would be the perfect time for a young guy to make the leap and take more of the load off Curry but the Warriors wasted a pick on Wiseman and the other guys aren't good enough to become stars.
Early
Only thing OKC is good at is foul baiting and flopping. They are all young and in their athletic prime and coached in the modern "game".
Bro OKC is THIRD in last in free throws attempted🤦🏽♂️ don’t go with the bs narrative
@@marioooletsgoooo soooo you're saying the refs are allowing Shai to be second in the western conference in FT attempts by minimizing the rest of the teams free throw attempts?
@heat2652 . Only 2 other go to the free throw line less than okc..😂 SGA also drives the ball more than any other guard in the league. Of course he's going to get fouled.
SGA foul baits and flops like mfer but OKC as a whole don't get a lot of fouls
Yeah let's pretend that they aren't playing as the best defense in the modern era currently!
Pretenders/Potenders should be the title of the video.. Houston and OKC are still early for their timeline grizzlies are just grizzlies when its playoffs..
OKC this season currently has the 5th best SRS (simple rating system) of all time WITHOUT their 2nd best player. They are head and shoulders above Houston and Memphis lmao
I think OKC is seasoned enough, but I think Dallas would win a series against them. I'm not a believer in the Rockets as currently constructed. The Nuggets, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns aren't real contenders to win it all imo, but those are dangerous teams, I could see one of them upsetting OKC or Dallas. I don't think it will happen, but facing guys like KD, Steph, Jokic, and Ja in a playoff series is always going to be a real battle.
.04 minutes and no views, funky fell off hard
Denver main issue is just a backup center. That’s it. Westbrook been a revelation for them for some reason
Denver problem is Jokic provides zero rim protection. It's why he has never beaten a 50 win team in the playoffs.
@ you prolly 5 years old
@@AngelValdez-d5g won a chip though
@@AngelValdez-d5gkeep rooting for the lakers! Have fun!
I don't understand how you could possibly think the Nuggets only issue is a backup Center. They have holes all over their roster and they don't have anywhere close to the assets to fix it.
damn 38 seconds ago
Jokic is a fruad. He will retire without ever beating a 50 win team in the playoffs.
@@AngelValdez-d5g cry like a baby. He already won a chip and multiple MVPs. Calling him a fraud like you’d do better than he has. Sounds like you don’t know how good he actually is bet you’ll see him beat a 50 win team in the playoffs soon and 50 wins from the regular season don’t matter in the playoffs. You forget that didn’t matter even after he won one championship and finals MVP the same season?
Definitely not a fraud, a top 3 player imo, but also a little overrated by some.
@@AngelValdez-d5g
Such a meaningless, arbitrary argument to make.
@HopefulNihilist So beating good teams in the playoffs is meaningless. I guess there should be a point system and no playoffs like soccer then.
@@AngelValdez-d5g
The fact that you have to use a strawman from the get go to make an argument, that tells everything I need to know about you.
Also, the Lakers were good enough to reach the WCF and Miami to outright win their Conference but they're still not "good" teams lmao. Ok, buddy. The good teams were the 50+ squads that lost to them, right? LMAO