Mike & UD Give Their Take On Who's Winning The NBA Finals

So just let's get right into it then. Who you got in the finals, bro? Ha! Don't do me like that, killer. Don't do that to me. Don't do that to me. So I can't ask you that question, killer? No, don't do that to me. It's just getting started. So who you picking in the finals? I got to take my glasses off. Don't do that. Who you picking in the finals? Who you got? I'm going to ask you first. I got OKC. That's the easy answer. It's the answer. I'll be honest though. It's not the easy answer because I think it's going to be way better than people think it's going to be. I just think OKC. I just think OKC at the end of the day. Listen, I think Indiana. I think Indiana is a lot better. And they said it on TV. In fact, I love my man Wendy. He says it on TV. He says like if you break down Indiana from when they started getting rolling after they got healthy. Yes. They were like basically like the number one team in the East. Yes. They ended the season that last month, month and a half. Yep. And leading to the playoffs. They were one of the best teams. And they're rolling right now. So, this series is going to be a lot better. So, it's not the easy answer. It's going to be a lot better than people think. I just think OKC wins. OKC won both matchups this year. Yep. Head to head. They did. I just really believe in OKC because I caution to say this because I am the guy that's been in the Indiana locker room. I've been in the Indiana locker room. So, I know what that feels like. Yep. So, for me to pick OKC and go against my own kind doesn't feel good to me. So, do I think OKC is going to win? Probably so. But I'm always inclined to root for the underdog. OK. So, let's do this then since you don't really want to give me an answer. I'm always inclined to root for the underdog. If OKC wins it, why? And if Indiana wins it, why? I mean, if OKC… When you're done with this seven-game series, they said, OK, Indiana Pacers won. You're going to say, OK, this is why they won. If OKC wins it, I would just say they won it because they were the better team. They were the better team. So, they have a better roster from top to bottom. From top to bottom, I think they were the better team. But if Indiana wins it, I would say they were the better coach team. Because Rick Carlisle has done it before. He has? So, maybe his experience, maybe him doing this before can come into play. You got a little more experience over there, too, with Coach and the Pasco Seattle Championship team. Yeah. So, when I look over there, I can say these are guys that have done it before and have been there before. And for that, they have somewhat of an edge. And then also, you got that chip on your shoulder where the world is telling you you're not good enough. So, those are things that Indiana can use to win it. And if OKC wins it, at the end of the day, I think we all just feel like they're the better team from top to bottom. I'm going to say if we sit here in three weeks and the Pacers had won, I'm going to say they made it chaotic and fast. I think the experience definitely does have something to do with it. But they cannot turn this into a muddy basketball game. And OKC is, you know, as good as their score in the basketball, they're built defensively. Yes. And for easy baskets. Yes. And if Indiana is getting stops and getting out and running, it's going to turn into a game that OKC is not completely comfortable with. Because you're not going to let Caruso and Lou Doerr and Case and Walsh get up underneath you, 94 feet, pick you up where you're down. It's going to come down to if this game plays like this or if it comes into a switch. Let's be honest. NBA Finals is going to turn into a half-court basketball game. And that benefits OKC, in my opinion. A thousand percent. But I will say this, though, Killian. This is the one thing I was thinking about. If there was one team that could go up and down with them. Oh, 100 percent. I'm not saying they want to, but if there's one team that can do that, you've got your man. I don't disagree with you. I just think, though, that's why I think OKC is going to win the series because I think they can win it in different ways. I think Indiana can only win it in one way, in my opinion. OKC is the only team that can win on both sides. Yes, they can turn this into a muddy game and they can beat you because they're probably a little more talented. But if that starts getting chaotic and they're finding pace and it's nem hard, and that ball's popping and boom, boom, boom. All of a sudden, you know how hard it is to win in Indiana. It's going to be awesome environments. Young teams on the road in the NBA Finals are going to be very intriguing. Let's be honest. So, hey, listen, when you said it's the easy answer, it's not because I really do like a lot about this Indiana team. I think it's going to be an absolute better series than people think it's going to be, especially based on what the odds are saying. My heart goes with the underdog. My mind wants to say OKC, my heart goes with the underdog. So the Halliburton and Shea, do you think that's going to be a... Is it going to be... See, when you say Halliburton versus Shea, I don't think they're going to guard each other. You don't? No. I don't think they're going to guard each other. Honestly, you know... I don't think... Yeah, you're probably right. I don't think they're going to guard each other. I wouldn't if I was you. Yeah, I wouldn't either. I wouldn't either. You know what I'm saying? Why would you put Shea on Halliburton? Yeah, I'd put Jalen Williams to start on Halliburton. Jalen with some length. Actually, I'd put Dort. Yeah, Lou Dort. Exactly. So I don't think they're going to guard each other. But who's Shea going to guard then, though? On the other end? Pascal? No. I think you put Shea on maybe Naismith. Oh, Naismith. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You put Shea on Naismith. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But what I will say is two completely different basketball players. Oh, yes. Two completely different basketball players. 100%. But both, you can tell that guys enjoy playing with them. You can tell that they play the game the right way. And they're both the head of the snake on their teams, offensively. As great as Pascal was, and you know, shout out to him for being the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Treats my son like, you know, he had a chance. He met my kids and treated them like he knew them his whole life. Great dude. So I was happy for him. But at the end of the day, in that finals, the Indiana Pacers are going to go as Hallenberg goes. You know what I'm saying? So you're X-Factor in Indiana for the Pacers. Not X-Factor because he's their best player. I mean, he's an all-star. Yeah. And I only say that because, you know, it's not going to be about his scoring, but it's going to be about, you know, he sets the pace, his playmaking. So Indiana's most important player is Hallenberg. Yes. Who's OKC, is it Shea? Shea's going to be their best player, but I think in this series their most important player might be Jalen. It is Jalen. I think J.Jub's going to be the most important player in this series. It is Jalen. And I think what people don't understand is two things can be true. One guy can be your best player. Another guy can be your most important player. Another guy can be your toughest player. Another guy can be your leader. Another guy can be your smartest player. Like, there's different roles that guys can play. And the biggest reason for that for me is I feel like you can book what Shea's going to give you. Yes. If Jalen gives you those 24 to 26. If you're in that locker room and you're preparing right now to go against the OKC Thunder, you're probably taking – I ain't going to say completely taking Shea out of the scouting report, but you're saying to yourself, we can probably book him for 25 to 30. You're literally – But these other – We got to stop. Yes. The only thing you're saying to Shea, in my opinion right now, is let's try to make him – Yeah. Take him off the foul line and make him inefficient. Yeah. Right? A lot easier said than done. Yes. What is our coverage going to be in pick and roll? Yes. And that's really it. Yes. Right? Yes. After that, it's okay. Now, how do I take out that second guy? Yes. And that's where I'm at with Jalen. How do you take him – If they take the second guy out and Jalen struggles to score – Even though Indiana is not as good of a defensive team as Minnesota is, I think they'll be more disciplined in these finals. Because a lot of times when I was watching Minnesota, I guess OKC, they weren't very disciplined at times defensively. I mean, they would slip out of pick and rolls and the big would go with the slip man and Shea would just turn the corner and get downhill. Just basic stuff where I'm saying you should not be making mistakes on slips in the Western Conference Finals. I don't think Rick Carlisle is going to allow Indiana to make those kind of mistakes. And if they do, I know they got a veteran on the bench that's going to hold them accountable. So, I don't think they're going to make those kind of mistakes. So, even though Minnesota might be the better defensive team, I think Indiana is not going to make the same mistakes that Minnesota made. And they'll be more – They'll be definitely – You like this Indiana team. Who you got going? They'll be a little tougher, man. Who you got? No, I'm just telling you. Because you're dealing with a team – Because you're dealing with a team killer that has spent majority of the year understanding that we have very little room for error. We understand how we need to play to win. We understand how we're going to play to win. And we understand we don't have very much room for error. And I've been on that other side in that locker room of that kind of team. So, you understand how you need to play to win games. There's no we're going to throw ---- at the wall and see if it sticks for 48 minutes and see if we win. No, we have to play this way. We have to do this. And this is how we're going to win. And there's no other option. And I've seen teams like that. I ain't picking nobody. Who you picking? I just told you. My head says OKC. My heart says Indiana. I can't be – What's wrong with that? Chop my head off and then you can have OKC. I don't want to do that to you. That's all I got for you, man. I think it's going to be a really good series. I'm super excited for it. It's going to be fun. It's going to be exciting. It's going to be a lot of fun. I think it's going to be some point scoring. Man, that's going to be awesome. I think it's going to be some point scoring, man. I think it's fun. I think it's going to be exciting. The X-Factors. This is what – The X-Factors. The Andrew Nemhearts. The Naismiths. I mean, we saw Thomas Bryant make some shots the last game. You know what I'm saying? We talked about Kayson Wallace. We talked about Aaron Wiggins. We talked about Caruso. I mean, J-Dub. You know what I mean? Hartenstein. We're going to take J-Dub out of the X-Factors because, you know, he's an all-star. But, you know, they're going to need some X-Factors too. There's going to be – There's going to have to be some games where some of these guys where you just you didn't game plan for, figure out a way to impact this game and get you over the hump. Who are going to be those X-Factors? You know, last series, it was Naismith and Nemheart. You know what I'm saying? Well, Naismith and Nemheart actually were amazing in the Cleveland series as well. No doubt. But then, last series, it was their defense. And then, there's their timely shot making. No doubt. Pascal Sialko and Hallenberg led the charge. No doubt. It's going to be different guys. So, it's going to be fun. And we also talk about teams who have great guys who star in their – Guys that star in their role. Whatever role that is, these guys star in them. Who you got? I just told you, man. My heart say Indiana. My head say OKC, man. I ain't betting. No, no one is. If I was betting, I would have to pick. All right. Well, we're going to tune in because these finals are going to be awesome. Before we get out of here, we got two things we got to do. We got a new segment called Factor Cap. All right. And then, we're going to do some fan questions because I don't – Just me and you on the set by ourselves. We're up. So, we got some fan questions. Factor Cap. Ant-Man is already a top five player in the league. Ah. The – Uh-huh. You got to start getting to that finger, Coach. Counting. You got to start counting that Florida Gator, man. Counting. We got Joker. We got Shea. Giannis. We got Giannis. We got Kawhi. Yeah, it's tough to put him in the top five. But, he going to get there. So, you hit him with – He in the top 10. You hit him here? He in the top 10. Top 10, top 15. But, it's tough to put him in top five. But, he only 23 years old. I know, man. So, the fact that I can put him in my top 10, top 15 at 23. I know, man. Means when he's 26, 27. I know, man. He going to be blowing them out of the water. No doubt. So, yeah. It's hard to put him in top five right now. So, man, I got to say that's cap, man. But, he's definitely in my top 10, top 15 and on his way. Uh-huh. You know what? A little more pain, he'll be in the top five. Yeah, that's right. A little more pain. That's all. OKC is too young to win it all this year. Buffoonery. Blasphemy. That's cap. That is cap. Cap. The whole reason this is cap is because you never see a young team that played a game in the right way on both ends of the basketball court. They've been doing that for years. Defensively and offensively, so that's cap. The whole reason it's super cap is they're only four games away from now. I think that's the reason that we've been falling in to, and that's why we've been scared to say that they are gonna win it all because they are young, and I think we gotta get over that stigma, and know that that. The paces are a fact or cap. The paces are a better all around team than OKC. No, that's cap. That's cap. the way the OKC defends and we talked about and this takes nothing away from Pacers but OKC is the and not just now but for a while they were the only team left in the playoffs that can beat you on both ends. They can win either way. They can win with a defense, they can win with the offense. There's wasn't too many teams left in the playoffs that can win with a defense and offense. This year proves the superteam era is officially dead. Back or cap? Yeah, cap. I think it's for cap. I think it's cap because I would say I think it's for cap. I agree with you though because they put together a superteam in Phoenix. It just didn't work but if it would have worked we wouldn't have been having this conversation. I think it's I think it's I think it's for cap but it's leaning more towards fact than cap. Yeah. Because if you if you if you look at it right now it's just so hard to fill your roster with the quality of players that you need. Yes. Based on the money that you happen to give these guys. Yes, the right pieces. It's really really hard. So I think it's for cap because I still think you can do it but if I was leaning towards I'd say it's more fact that I think I think superteams based on again it's gonna level itself out. You gotta get lucky with that. Yes but I'm giving it to like and I know you hate when I say this stuff but it's like with this with it with the tax consequences that are get there make killer. Is that a Christian Dior basketball? Coach, I think it is. God damn. What kind of s*** is that? That is fat. That's cold. You know I'm saying? It ain't cap. But that cost you two agree with you on that. It's for cap. It's for cap. It's for cap because you can put together a superteam but you know how lucky you got to be for that s*** to work. I mean, you know how lucky. And it was hard as f*** for us and this was 39 years ago. It was hard as f*** for us to work. So yeah, that s*** sucks. Yeah, it's not easy. And it's almost, it's almost getting to the point now where like, you have to draft, like if you're gonna do it, you have to draft really well because it's almost like NFL football. Your quarterback has to be on his rookie deal. Or you're like, like, like Chet and Jalen right now in OKC. They're both on their rookie deals. It's allowing them to get the superteam yet. Until you have to pay him as a superteam. Then you'll have your answer. Like you say, you have, only way it works now is if you have some studs on early deals. On early deals. It's like a quarterback, right? Once you have to pay your quarterback, it's really, really hard to fill your roster up. So it's, it's gonna be interesting, man. Like, and that might be a reason why Dallas keeps number one, right? Because it allows you to have someone, you're praying that he's that way. But it's gonna be interesting. Yeah. Fact or cap, this is an easy one. Tyrese Halliburton is overrated. I mean, I gotta say, he hasn't, he hasn't shot the people enough for that. I'm sick and tired of this. Listen, man. Nine times in this man's career, he's had at least 20 points, 15 assists and no turnovers. Nine times. That's ridiculous. The next closest in NBA history is three. And you know who we're talking about? We're talking about Joker and Big O. That's ridiculous. These is facts, people. I ain't making this up. I get it. The pants is pulled up high. The long arms, they made this demean with him at Urkel the other day. Look good. It's funny. It might not look how y'all think it should look, but this is effective. The kid can go straight up and down. No, it was like six o'clock. The dude get it done. So we're going to stop talking about that man. Ain't no more. It was overrated. That's dog. I know his shot might look fun. You know what I'm saying? And one thing I'm going to tell you, because I looked at his numbers, too. He ain't no duck on defense, either. He was holding to 38, 39 percent. What'd you look at his numbers? He was holding to 38, 39 percent on the island when he was guarding one on one. So, yeah, you could try to hunt him out, but ain't no guarantee you're going to get a bucket like some mother. He was hunting them out and it was guaranteed buckets. Men lie. Women lie. Yeah, numbers don't. So now we talk about somebody who the head of the snake who's averaging about 20 a game and average of 10 plus assists. So you take his 20 plus 10 assists. That's another 20. If you get fouls, you talk about 25. So we talk about somebody who's average. I think the other day they say he scored or assisted on like close to 60, 70 some points. And you got to give credit where credit is due. I tell people this. And this is where the genius of Rick Carlisle comes into play because we've seen this before. It reminds me of Hardball and Baltimore Ravens. When Lamar Jackson comes to the line of scrimmage and he got the same look. You don't know if he's running a pass. It's RPO got five wide and he take off a run for 50 yards. I have literally seen him run the same play over and over and over and five times and get five different options. That's right. I watched him run a double drag at the top of the key and get five different looks. I watched Hallenberg come off, split, double drag and get downhill. I watched him come off the double drag. Shoot the pull up. I watched him come off. Bronson tried to show he threw it back. Nemhat drove and hit the three. Then I watched him come off and just drive it for. I watched him run the same play five times. Kelly get five different looks. This is the genius of Rick Carlisle. It's not a coincidence. So we got to get credit where credit due. The kid is a hooper dog. Double down on comfort and elevate your essentials this playoff season with distractionless underwear from Tommy John. 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