The Mid Warriors, LeBron’s Future, and Embiid’s Recovery. Plus: What’s Going On With the Celtics?
Dec 31, 2024
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The hosts dive into the Warriors' surprising struggles and Steph Curry's call for improvement. They debate Joel Embiid's revival and Nikola Jokic's influence on Westbrook's game. Recent coaching changes are examined, particularly Mike Brown's firing and its impact on De'Aaron Fox. LeBron shares his ambitious future plans, hinting at several more years in the NBA. The Celtics' current woes are scrutinized, while a quirky player altercation sparks a discussion on competition in the league.
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Quick takeaways
The Warriors struggle with offensive consistency beyond Steph Curry, raising doubts about their championship contention this season.
Joel Embiid is showing signs of regaining his peak form, which is crucial for his playoff performance and legacy.
The Celtics' uneven performances highlight a potential lack of urgency, yet their successful track record gives confidence in their capabilities.
Deep dives
Current NBA Dynamics and Fan Engagement
The podcast addresses the current state of the NBA and the excitement around the season, especially during the holiday period. It highlights the abundance of betting opportunities available on platforms like FanDuel, encouraging fans to engage with the games through various prop bets and live player performance analysis. The hosts discuss the unpredictability of teams' performances and how fans can capitalize on surprising outcomes as the season progresses. They emphasize the entertainment aspect of watching games while participating in betting, positioning it as a way to enhance the viewing experience.
Warriors' Inconsistency and Future Outlook
Discussion surrounds the Golden State Warriors' performance, particularly their inconsistency on offense as they head into the new year. The hosts express skepticism about the team's ability to contend, noting the lack of offensive production beyond Stephen Curry, which raises concerns about the supporting cast. They highlight the need for the organization to take decisive action, such as making strategic trades to capitalize on Curry's remaining prime years. The dialogue reflects a broader examination of the Warriors' organizational strategy and whether they are prepared to take risks to improve.
Joel Embiid's Revival and Playoff Performance
The hosts analyze Joel Embiid's recent performances, noting a resurgence in his game as he approaches peak form once again. They highlight his impressive scoring ability, emphasizing how he is regaining his rhythm after overcoming early-season struggles. A key point made is the importance of maintaining this level of performance into the playoffs, where Embiid has historically underperformed. The discussion captures the need for consistency from Embiid in the postseason to meet fan expectations and silence critics of his playoff legacy.
Celtics' Midseason Challenges and Team Morale
There is a conversation about the Boston Celtics' sporadic losses to lower-ranked teams and whether these reflect broader issues within the team. The hosts speculate that these losses may stem from a lack of urgency, given the Celtics' prior success and familiarity with high-stakes games. Yet, despite these hiccups, they maintain confidence in the Celtics' ability to perform well against competitive teams, citing the organization’s successful track record. This discussion mirrors the underlying theme of maintaining focus and discipline in a long NBA season.
LeBron's Future and Retirement Speculation
The podcast concludes with a deep dive into LeBron James’ career trajectory, debating how much longer he can sustain his elite performance level. The hosts suggest that while LeBron may hint at retirement, his competitive nature will likely prompt him to extend his career as long as he can perform at a high level. They predict a retirement tour for him, highlighting how he would want to orchestrate his final year in the spotlight for maximum impact. This conversation emphasizes the ongoing narrative surrounding LeBron and his vast influence within the league, raising questions about legacy and endurance in professional sports.
With Verno out, Big Wos joins Jacoby on today’s episode as they go through last night’s NBA games, starting off with the Warriors' loss to the Cavs, which saw Steph Curry call his team "average" (01:36). They then move on to the Sixers' win and debate whether Joel Embiid is finally finding his stride and also why Nikola Jokic has been key for Russell Westbrook’s resurgence in Denver (10:10). After debating Jimmy Butler’s future with the Heat, the guys share why the Amen Thompson–Tyler Herro scuffle is actually good for the league (24:36). Next, they discuss Mike Brown’s firing as head coach of the Kings and debate how much influence De’Aaron Fox had in the decision to let Brown go (30:19). The guys discuss what impact Dorian Finney-Smith could have on the Lakers before shifting their attention to LeBron’s comments about how he could play another five to seven years if he really wanted to (36:14). Last, the debate whether the Celtics' recent struggles are anything to be worried about and whether Wemby’s chess meetup in New York last week was inauthentic (47:39).
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