NBA Xmas Day: Luka goes off, Brunson beats the Bucks, Denver’s perfect lineup & more | No Cap Room

NBA Xmas Day: Luka goes off, Brunson beats the Bucks, Denver’s perfect lineup & more | No Cap Room

Hello friends welcome to a very special post Christmas episode of No Cap room here on the ball don’t lie podcast network from Yahoo sports my name is Jake fiser I am a senior MBA reporter for Yahoo sports I hope you all had a wonderful weekend if you’re watching on

YouTube I’m still Clinging On to the Christmas spirit got little little little little elf hat or what do you call this hat Dan Titus Our Guest joining me today fantasy analyst from Yahoo sports not Dan Divine Dan by a different name Dan Titus what’s up man

How are you what’s what’s good man I definitely say that i’ qualify that as an elfish hat um but it’s got a little Santa to it too I don’t know like the it’s definitely got the nice little Santa like droppage there I feel like

You got the nice Hang Time on it so yeah man you’re rocking it well thank you I’ve always taken ugly Christmas sweaters and and Christmas fashion seriously last night we uh we drove out to diyer Heights I don’t know if you’re familiar um it’s like South Brooklyn

Like very very south they have this whole stretch strip stretch I said I think I said stretch they had this whole stretch of Christmas lights and there’s one house that does it super big they had like a bazillion nut cracker it was a fever dream of Christmas lights but it

Was nice a lot of traffic definitely we did not we were not the only ones who had that idea but we did it we made it we made it through how was your Christmas man uh it was chill man um honestly it’s crazy because I feel like

I don’t remember the last time we had three football games and five basketball games so literally as soon as I woke up my kids ripping open all of his presents and I’m like oh I can turn on the Bucks and nicks um go so I think that was cool

Man and um outside of that it was it was it was definitely cool it was nice to take the kiddo around see all the Christmas lights and all that I got to say though the older I get if I didn’t have a kid man I would not be in the

Christmas spirit dude like I would just be so over all of the like craziness when you go to like Target or just to do simple things it’s just like yo why are y’all out like just go home I don’t know that’s a kogin in me but now that I got

A kid I put on my Christmas spirit I feel that we got we almost drowned in the the Sea of people in rocket ther Center trying we had like an hour to kill we did this was great my my lovely lady had the idea of uh of choosing to

Check off the box of The Seven Fishes by doing uh Omas sushi the Upper East Side on on Sunday night Christmas Eve and in order to like kill time we stopped off at sax withth Avenue to see the lights and the windows and man a lot of people there who are

Definitely not from America who thought what a great time to go visit New York City Christmas which happens every year I always remember that until I always forget that until I remember and the and the memory smacks in the face but we’re g to we’re going to go through the uh

The Christmas slate of games uh today we’re we’re going to see what what lessons we learned what what what highlights ensued um but first since Dan is here to bless us with his fantasy knowledges um let’s get a quick word from Dan Titus about all the holiday joy

That fantasy sports at Yahoo can bring into your home that’s right and if you haven’t already you’re probably been eliminated from your fantasy football playoffs I know I have me and Jake we go back and forth texting about what we’re going to do if you didn’t make it to the

Championship or even if you did join a public league with Yahoo fantasy Basketball and you can win up to $100 and an e gift card to spend at nba.com so that’s pretty cool you can get yourself a jersey get yourself some nice little swag maybe some shorts for the

For the summertime when it’s nice out there I don’t recommend the city Edition colorways man those jerseys are a little bit loud but go to Yahoo fantasy download the Yahoo fantasy app and uh start a public league today man join a public league it’s gonna be fun there

You go free hundred bucks all you got to do is for button have some fun exctly my I I am in the championship game in my league with the high school friends that loyal listeners of the NC arada or I guess the NC arada who are loyal

Listeners will will recall um and I needed to use I needed to hit you up from Manila my last one of my last nights in Manila to get help from our you know fantasy Gods that’s what they call it the god mode the people who can

Go in and pull all the levers to help me set the order because I in the the decade I’ve been the commissioner on Yahoo sports for this fantasy league I have never set the order correctly it’s always my issue so now thankfully I’m on this side of the curtain I can talk to

The Wizard of Oz and they can pull some strings but I’m in the championship game thanks to this is the difficult part of fantasy man thanks to Brock P’s injury i i i inched in on like by like 1.3 points into the championship so hey’ got a nice

Matn need Jamar Chase to come back healthy and need James Cook who went off my bench the last two weeks and then put up a fivepoint deuce on uh yeah semifinal Sunday or Monday whatever day they played not a good one but but we survived we survived in

Advance yeah I got got by James Cook too man and unfortunately I had him on the bench for those two games he went off and then I put him in there and he gives me Five Points I’m like cool bro um I got a couple leagues I still still vying

For a championship so not as much not as profitable as I thought it would be but it’s still going to be a good year nonetheless well we’ll get into some fantasy basketball tips later but right now let’s uh let’s dive into the Christmas Day games the Knicks noon

Eastern I was there rubbing sleep out of my eyes early game early tip off I I wrote this years ago for Sports Illustrated I don’t have the numbers in front of me cuz I don’t want to encourage our listeners to go to another website but the efficiency numbers are across

The that does Bots yeah we’re going to we’re going to we’re going to not go any deeper there the uh the efficiency numbers are like always down across the board and I get it because I don’t want to be at a game at noon but I was there

The the the MSG crowd loving Feliz Nai do on the Jumbotron uh Skyler I think his name is Austin the guy from PR perfect who Anna Kendrick falls in love with in the first movie he sang the national anthem ah yeah yeah okay not to be a hater I was disappointed I was

Disappointed maybe because there wasn’t like a whole doop group in the background but Jaylen Brunson did not disappoint 38 points the third most in Nick’s franchise history on Christmas day which I learned they are the team that has played the most games on Christmas day of any team so that’s

That’s a good record for for Jaylen Brunson to hold and I don’t think he’s motivated by the Becky Hammond too small to be a top tier you know one a player but man it does seem like anytime he gets the Bucks which I think the streak was seven straight games that Milwaukee

Had knocked off New York they definitely it was it was dating back to last season uh this was the first time in four tries New York was able to beat jannis Deo and Company so I I don’t know maybe it’s just anecdotal but it does seem like

Brunson tries to take his game up on not on those national TV you know the playoff games against Utah and luk was like when it’s a moment that dude always does seem to show up and arrive so I’m curious Dan are you seeing like the allstar campaign that I’m seeing from

The 6’1 190 lb probably not too small to be a top option on a legitimate you know Plucky playoff team that I am or is there something different that you you’re kind of looking at this a different lens that you’re seeing this this through I mean honestly I feel like

He’s stepped up in all of the biggest moments when he’s been given the opportunity to right like to started in the playoffs uh two years ago with Dallas with Luca down this man just willed the Dallas Mavericks through that you know playoff run enough to get him

That bag to be the front man for New York and I don’t think he’s disappointed and I think you know whether he was listening to Becky Hammond’s comments or not uh one thing is true this dude is an All-Star I think you can make the case that he could be an All-Star starter

Right now he’s averaging a career high in points per game he’s averaging almost six dimes but he’s just doing it efficiently too and like okay like Allen Iverson always got you know I’m Iverson guy know you were too um he always got a lot of um additional boost because he’s

So small and doing what he does but the way that he attacks the mid-range and gets to his spots with ease and he this dude makes like very difficult shots like his shot his shot creation is absolutely outstanding and I think he’s just put in this whole this whole City

On his back and I I’m not saying that the Knicks are going to win a championship cuz that part I actually do agree with Becky Hammond I think they’re they’re going to need to make a move and they were fortunate that they got their Supporting Cast to show out in this game

Um they had four players in over 20 points you know RJ Barrett and and Brunson went to work early they scored 29 Points in the first quarter um which is outscored the freaking bucks so I think that you know if I’m looking big picture on this I think that the Knicks

At least POS an interesting matchup against the bucks if they should see them again like maybe down the line in the playoffs one of the areas that they absolutely dominated this game was in the paint they scored 72 points in the paint um and the Bucks usually are

Pretty good against the paint like this year they’re you know bottom 10 um averaging 53 letting up 53 per game but last year they led the league so I think that that actually might be an area of concern for the bucks long term if they don’t figure that out um but I think

This is just a this is just a master class of J Brunson going off and leading his Squad um the way that he need that the way that he has just been doing for much of the last two years that he’s been there um but I do have concerns

Whether RJ Barrett’s gonna come out and give you 21 points and you know I think Julius Randle has proven he can be a solid number two um and then Emanuel quickly Off the Bench man I think he’s one of the best in the game when he’s

Actually feeling it so I don’t know this Nicks team always has the feeling of a dangerous team that can upset you on a couple games but then after that it’s like Championship I don’t know about that yeah no the the points in the paint is a good point tibs talked about a post

Game that there was like more of an effort and and energy and transition and that’s especially how you have to attack a team that has two SF Footers who were stalking that backline of the defense when everything’s set in the half court yeah another thing I just want to say on

Brunson I I posted out my tweet about the story it was some nice full circle moment where Adrian Griffin the Bucks head coach was not just an assistant with Rick Brunson when they were both in Chicago and Rick was training Jaylen at the Bulls practice facility much like

That video that surfaced online this week of them at the park and Rick definitely coaching him hard and know them kind all coming together on Christmas and all that type of stuff um I I think you know I I posted Jaylen Brunson gave a nice gift to remind all

The haters and there was a lot of hate on that on that tweet said he has no haters so I’m sorry I saw spike esin in front of the show right Ricky Sanchez say he has no haters saw plenty of other people say he has no haters should I

Said like doubters instead I don’t know but he’s not he wasn’t 12th in the ESPN straw pole he would didn’t make the top 12 for that ESPN straw poll of MVP voting which like Rudy goar had a vote over him like I’m not saying that he

Should be on the top five ballot for MVP when you have Joel and beid and joic and Luca and Anthony Edwards and anyone bought like they just go down the list but I mean the guy is definitely to me a you said he’s an All-Star starter candidate like I would absolutely agree

With that and think that’s a real Testament to like I don’t know I don’t think I think if you said that I think a lot of people I mean you did say that think a lot of people listening yeah I think a lot of people listening might be

Like whoa Dan Titus comes on here thinking he’s Dan Divine and he’s just throwing out Flames here but I think that’s a very I think it’s a reasonable uh assessment and you know it helps going up against a bucks defense that really cannot control top tier know

Guard play I mean the point of attack defense has definitely become like one of the bigger buzzwords in the league just kind of like copycat League type of you know just like movement shooting is like now this new elusive skill set that all these teams are trying to really

Like are you a shooter or can you be a movement shooter the Bucks I mean it was it was the biggest thought with the Drew holiday deal where you swap him and bring in Dame I called it the Drew holiday deal because that’s to me like

What the what this was about it wasn’t about getting Damen lard it’s about thinking how much better Damen ler could be for Drew holl than Drew holiday in the overall grand scheme of what Milwaukee can do with yis D compo at the front and center of all this and yeah

It’s just it’s hard to think about you talked about can the Knicks give the Bucks a a tough run in the postseason it’s just hard to look at Milwaukee as as much as people there are saying you know things are jelling now we’re starting to figure things out on both

Sides of the floor Adrien Griffin pregame is talking about how they’re they’re finding out how to understand each other on defense and know where things got to pick up and Chris Middleton looks healthy again there’s just like it’s too easy to carve them up to your point about getting in the paint

Like what what is that you know Brook Lopez was a defensive player of the year can it last year argu we should have won it he he’ll be considered there again it’s just it is concerning how easy it is for someone like Jaylen Bruns then you look at Boston like they’re going to

Have plenty of guys who can get downhill tyes Maxi put up a stinker last night we’ll get to that but like it’s just that is a cause for concern for Milwaukee I would say and you know Dr Dr Crowder’s been out I was talking to him

Pregame and he thinks he’s on the menend and targeting something in like mid January I don’t want to put on two specifics we were just kind of shooting the [ __ ] about it but positive energy from from Jay Crowder but but he’s Jay Crowder is not going to

Be you know locking down on ball on an island like he used to so yeah I don’t know that’s that’s my that’s my ramble on Milwaukee I I’m with you man I I think that they have some concerns about their depth you know they obviously have the

Elite stars there they went star hunting got Damen Lillard but I think you’re right in the fact that it’s I don’t think it was talked about enough how much true holiday impacted them defense defensively and how much they’re struggling to combat that now when they get a physical team that you need to

Play more at the level um and as you said yeah I think that that’s I mean they’ll figure it out right eventually and I think getting someone like a Jay Crowder will certainly help them their wing defense but you know I don’t think people are really scared when you bring

In a second unit of Austin Jackson Jr and marjon Bo champ like you’re not you’re not scared to what at that Pat connington like I don’t know man they they definitely have some depths issues so I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to do something you know probably by the

Trade deadline might help them to get some additional defensive support there but um it’s a regular season game a ton of things to play with though no they don’t they they really don’t not after giving up not after giving going for after Damen L yeah Andre Jackson doeses

Some fun stuff out there and like that’s my segue into Denver being that both the nuggets and Milwaukee to your point about reinforcements like they were they both came into this year hoping that you know for Milwaukee it it was it was Bo champ and it was Andre Jackson that they

Could do something that they could come and use this 82 games to figure out ways to help supplant that you know lacking whatever was going out the door with your quality on the perimeter defense but with Denver we’ve talked about on the show mean the Nuggets really do

Believe that that some combination of pton Watson Watson Christian Brown who did it in the finals last year go down the list of of all their young dudes I mean even Zeke Naji who’s kind of been stashed away for them for a while and signed a decent extension number like

They’re Denver is confident in their personnel scouting ability that all those guys can kind of grow and get reps especially pton Watson they’re super super high on there and come playoff time all the depth that they will need all the replacements for you know Bruce Brown heading out the door to Indiana

Will be there but I was watching this game a little bit this morning and my biggest thought was the the Nuggets top five is just a perfect lineup it really is especially when Michael Porter Jr has gotten Leaps and Bounds better on the defensive side of the ball and as a playmaker that

Little like fun behind the back pass that I think he threw to Reggie Jackson on the wing was like silly and a little bit you know oh maybe that’s kind of the mpj like a little bit of lack of judgment whatever sauce stuff yeah but it’s so like deference and he’s throwing

The extra pass more than he ever has before he had two ridiculous blocks that were like full effort plays someone I’ve always kind of liked I spent some time with him in Vegas in his hotel room at Summer League a couple years ago like we’re supposed to meet in the lobby and

Usually these guys are like you know either through team PR or the agent they’re like trying to get you as and like as sterile and like nonthreatening or like non let’s not give this guy an opportunity to like show you he’s got clothes everywhere in his in his place

Uh environment and like he was just so authentic and him and just like a nice guy had the battle Mike Malone like like ear saying he had to earn his stripes Tak Off the Bench for years because of all the Judgment efficiency whatever stuff and like he’s just quietly become

A [ __ ] stud like that dude could have been faced off of his Intel coming out of college like could have been the most obvious regression to the mean post Championship hangover type of all the 82 games don’t matter we just got to especially after they the Nuggets like

Moonwalk their way through the last 15 games of last year they were so far in advance of everyone in the standings the fact he’s come out and had the year he’s had Aaron Gordon is just doing Aaron Gordon things like man Denver just to me it was a reminder especially with you

You know every time you watch Golden State it’s like a you know plotting on an XY chart of like what level of panic versus what level of who this is int intriguing like they’re kind of of vacillating between Denver is just Denver man and the West is it was just a

Nice reminder while Minnesota was at home and okoma city was at home and people could complain about that Denver just I think reminded me and I think a lot of people too that the western conference is still going to run through Mile High yeah I didn’t really think it was

There’s any really contest to this because you know the nuggets are just so complete as you said man um to get double doubles out of Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr but Michael Porter Jr with four blocks having him committed on the defensive end like you suggested man

That’s just a game Cher for them and I couldn’t help but notice you know obviously there was the other end of that you know the the Spectrum there where Steve Kerr was very pissed off about the foul distribution which I’m sure we’ll talk about in a little bit

But nicolea yic didn’t really have that great of a game right he only made four field goals crushed at the line but he only had four field goals and to be able to get that much Supporting Cast Jamal Murray was a dog like he got I mean 28 points uh five boards three

Assists but he got every shot that he wanted and plenty of highlight re plays he had that Baseline like kind of hesi and then Kim around on the reverse on the the one-handed reverse and then I mean just the the turnaround fadeaways that he was having like he’s just looks

So comfortable now and having that guy being able to be a you know focal point of the offense when he needs to when their main guy is struggling then also you have these other guys that can deliver uh cavius Cowell Pope was a double figures so I know they’re just so

They’re just so deep man like I just don’t know what you can do so even if like I love that what their youth their youth movement what they have coming up and Payton Watson and Julian strawther I mean they got they got Ballers so like I

Just don’t see where up in down the roster man like there’s just no flaw and you know on the warrior side of things I feel like they’re still trying to figure it out like the Warriors actually played all right they played pretty well um it was just the it was the free throw

Disparity you know and I think Steve Kerr um for those that didn’t hear he said he’s the league has legislated defense out of the game in this league it’s a parade to the free throw line and disgusting to watch those are some pretty scathing words man yeah um but I

Think it more so the yeah but I really feel like it just speaks to the fact that you know it’s not like the Warriors are like crying here like they’ve you know they’re eighth in F in free throw attempts this season so like they’re getting to the line too um bringing the homework

Doesn’t matter what Dan’s in the chair he is bringing the homework I love it I love it yeah but at this point it’s like I think they just want consistency with these calls right and it’s Christmas day you want to see a high-scoring game not the tempo and the flow get kind of

Messed up like Klay Thompson Steph Curry and Brandon psky were all saying after the game so you know I would actually feel pretty good about the way the Warriors play considering that Steph only had 18 points shot horribly seven for 21 from the field and Klay Thompson

Was just a no-show but yeah I don’t know how much you guys have talked about Brandon pky but I’m pretty impressed man he’s he’s a guy that I think is is really going to emerge up this rookie ladder like right now he’s not really on that list we’ll talk about another

Rookie later in haime hakz but um what he brings to the Warriors as as well as um I saw you retweeted there it was a repost something about how um the youth movement of the Warriors is kind of forcing Steve Ker’s hand to be very uncomfortable like between psky and

Kinga’s mergence Dario SAR and then you got Trace Jackson Davis like they’re gonna have to start playing these guys to compete um because I think you can see now that Klay Thompson and Wiggins aren’t just going to be consistent throughout the rest of the season who knows what you’re going to get from

Draymond Green so I think the big picture here for the Warriors is they got to let their young boys cook um the jsky had five steals career high um he just plays he can play at the level he can guard multiple positions he’s an excellent rebounder they got to let him

Continue to start yeah I’ve never I know a lot of people with golden state pretty well like a lot of people over there i’ I’ve never heard Warriors decision makers talk so like openly about how there’s things we got to figure out still like for years it’s always been kind of

This we got Steph and we have this Championship culture we’re going to figure it out we’re just goingon to add in you know the next guy who can be David West you know just just call up you know bring on nman Bita and plug in Gary Payton I second and a Sean

Livington spot and we’re gonna run the pinch post and it just doesn’t matter we’ve got Stephen Clay and Draymond Andrew Wiggins can just kind of dust himself off and become the second best player in finals team I’m like well it could be great this is kind of the first

Time that they I mean the fact that they’re so willing and excited to throw in pods and and Trace and just kind of figure this out on the fly like it’s definitely I think telling of how experimental this franchise is willing to get right now to your point how they

Have not been under Steve Kerr for many a year I mean we kind of saw it it it was it was pretty much like the one most valid criticism you could have given to Kerr and the USA basketball staff this summer back in Manila that he definitely

Sees the game through through a prism that he likes and there isn’t a ton of wiggle room off of that and it’s it’s been interesting to see how pods can kind of change that dynamic because there there are things that he does that have been done before in that like he

Definitely is Gary Payton is and how he attacks opens glass at that size and can be a willing screener and could be a playmaker out of the short rle kind of Bruce brownish like he was doing in Denver when there’s also like shot creation ability and shooting off the

Dribble that those guys don’t have so it’s a pretty enticing combination kaminga you know his growth and progression is big for two reasons not just because of what he could do for on the floor for this team and they’ve always needed that to happen like at a

Bare minimum Golden State needed him to become the Andre Gala replacement and the Hope was that he he would be that plus more on the offensive side of the ball If he if he does continue to take these steps forward then we’re not considering the other side of the coin

Of what his development can do for his trade value but that is the reality where if they do want to get better he is the biggest piece that they can use to go out the door and improve this thing um but I don’t know I think they

Had W five straight going into this and I think right now it’s still like internal evaluation mode while Draymond is on the sidelines and and doing what he has to do to get back on the floor I think Golden State’s still kind of in like a assessment situation and not like

Really looking outward of what they can accomplish right now but obviously like like all teams in this trade season they’re having uh you know exploratory conversations and and and we’ll see what comes of it all in uh in the middle game of the day I guess Celtics Lakers which the Lakers whites the

Celtics green it just makes me think of O8 2010 and it brings me back Nostalgia and also made me think how it would be really cool to have LeBron’s Lakers in the finals against the Celtics but the Lakers are just like way way way off of that level compared to what Boston did

Let’s put a pin in the LA because I just want to I want to ask you just thinking about it as as I was watching watching the tape this morning and then looking at some numbers is Derrik white like a fantasy God is he like a top 15 top 10

Fantasy player the dude does literally everything he blocks shots he hits threes he steals he I mean the guy does it all he’s a rebounder like truly where does he rank I don’t know I don’t play Fantasy Basketball not to dismiss our ads and telling everyone to sign up I

Just don’t really want to be rooting for players individually it’s kind of like a how to do my job thing however is Derek white a fantasy guy he is a fantasy God right now he’s top 20 in terms of per game production and um one of the things that Derek white I

Think is the emergence of Dereck white in terms of just production before when he was in San Antonio he was like you know kind of a you know high 30s three-point shooter didn’t really have an opportunity got a little bit of playmaking in there whenever dejonte

Murray was hurt but when he went to Boston and he got himself into a situation where he could be the third or fourth best player he could be a catch and shoot guy and now that he has confidence we already knew what he could do defensively but now man it’s just all

Coming together and I think one of the best things that the Celtics did was trade Marcus Smart because that allowed uh Derek white to kind of be in more of a hybrid facilitation move because yeah Drew holiday is there but um I think it actually just opened up their offense a

Bit more same with Chris AB sport zenis um to a point where this this these starters are just maximizing efficiency right now I mean the dude’s shooting 50% from the field 90% from the line uh he might be a 50 40 90 guy like he’s he’s

On the verge of that um but the defensive numbers man he’s averaging over a block a game uh steal a game it’s only him and shild is Alexander primarily that have that two-way um blocking upside from a guard spot so the dude’s an absolute monster for Fantasy

So if you have him congratulations he’s going to continue to be a beast yeah we we’ll talk plenty more about about Boston I’m sure in the coming weeks of the show because they don’t have a ton to really tweak like they’re playing uh NIS kada if I pronounce that thing

Incorrectly I apologize a ton on this road trip I think this is like their evaluation of is he better than luk cornet and if he’s not that much better then do we need to go out and get like another real big um before the deadline thing the Lakers have a lot more

Questions they’ve lost five of six since the inseason tournament and Gabe Vincent will now miss six to eight weeks after knee surgery definitely there’s definit an optimism there I can say after some morning calls that it’s closer to the six week uh timetable than eight which will

Be helpful especially if he can come back at all before February 8th which I don’t think that’s the case being that we’re recording this on December 26th it’s like very tight window but for now like that’s a critical chip the midlevel basically the full midlevel that the Lakers have gotten nothing back floor

With a team that was already kind of asset strapped with so many picks having gone out the door for the Russell Westbrook trade and then another pick out the door to get off of him and bring back DLo and all that type of stuff DLo

Went to the bench he’s been so hot and cold and and DLo basically this season where you know I I am a little bit I’m GNA say this I’m going to editorialize more than I usually do I’m a little bit worried that all this is leading towards a Lakers Zack LaVine trade coming

Because DLo is the natural salary that would make that work plus some other stuff and I just I don’t know if LaVine will be what this team needs it seems like to me there is definitely a need for shooting which he would feel for sure but the defense is just to me when

Ad is not going Godzilla mode in the inseason tournament it’s you know Jared Vanderbilt a total negative on offense right now that the lineup stuff with trying to figure out how to use Austin Reeves when he is their third best player it’s kind of like there’s been some complaints I’ve seen about the

Knicks not using Emanuel quickly enough like he’s still around 24 minutes a game like people were saying why isn’t he in the 30s a Austin Reeds is kind of similar in that boat and he did get Pete like the quickly stuff is you can you can kind of

You could point it to any conspiracy if you want and be like oh contract extension stuff he’s coming up they try whatever I’m not saying that’s real but I could see someone an angry fan at home trying to Rack their brain for an answer like Austin got paid he’s there I I can

Understand why there’ be some head scratching from Lakers fans about what’s going on there and some kind of questions about how big they’re going to go to try to plug this hole because we’ve seen how big they’ve gone with you know the biggest of ways with Westbrook it’s just I’m I’m I’m curious

Dan and and I don’t know from your seat from your your spot at home what do you think this team should be trying to do to to get I mean they’re clearly not on the level right now of what Denver did and what we were just talking about in

The previous segment and and I don’t know that a move with the assets that they have will get them to Denver’s level um I I think it makes sense and I think we’ll hear more about it I was listening to the Stein line earlier today and it doesn’t sound like the

Bulls are pressing and I think it’s more so because of the way that they’re winning without LaVine on the floor is kind of hurting their trade position a little bit um the Bulls are eight and5 without LaVine 5 and 13 with them so at this point it is a salary match thing

And I think D’Angelo Russell makes sense and the way Kobe White’s been playing I think it it makes LaVine Expendable for sure I just don’t know how what how much does he raise the floor of the Lakers being put into that situation like sure offensively you get better but Zack

LaVine isn’t a two-way guy and yeah to be fair anyone who’s trading for him is gonna buy in on he defended his ass off in the Olympics and he’ll be re-energized by a new situation but there’s just a long track record that says otherwise yeah and I I would say that

You know LeBron has a a history of making these players that may been in other situations losing situations kind of tap in and and buy into what they’re doing there I just I just don’t know that LaVine makes them better than the than the Denver Nuggets like yeah you get a few more

Wins here but they got to do something and moving DLo to the bench makes sense given the inconsistency I think torian Prince has been you know a really valuable piece for them I think he’s been playing very well I just don’t know behind just behind a though like what do

You get you you get you’re really mortgaging your future on ad having to go nuclear and that’s just not that’s just not what he does consistently like he’ll do it every once in a while just to like make you remember like hey I’m that guy but then he’ll fall back he’ll

He’ll Fade to Black have another bad game he gets abused by joic every time they play so I don’t know I they need to they have a lot more questions than answers and I don’t know that Zack LaVine is going to be the one that’s

Going to take him there um The Bigs is a great great great point because obviously you know the Dwight Howard was it DeAndre who was the other big on that championship team I think it was yeah um in 2020 it’s so long ago it’s hard to remember and Rob plinka just cast him

Aside very quickly I I think that’s I think that’s a a very under the radar issue that’s kind of Bing at the surface here the Jackson ha Christian wood bench platoon really leaves a lot to be desired it does it does on both sides of the floor

So that’s that’s it’s really tough when your offseason doesn’t really bring anything from outside your building to improve your weaknesses when you obviously did have weaknesses and part of that’s been Vincent’s inability to play we’ll see what happens there I mean again there there’s some optimism about

The surgery and then you he’ll be all good and well after that sometimes that happens you know there’s you try to rehab it and do some things and whatever and then you just got to go under the knife and fix it but yeah uh lot lot to

Be monitored and figure out what will the Lakers look like come playoff time and I mean they’re going to be right in the thick of these teams that are trying to get out of the plan tournament that’s part of why the plan that’s part of been the benefit everyone thought it would

Add some excitement really just trying to get to the the 10 seed but to me the most of the juice that comes with the planing are for teams like the Lakers teams trying to get out of that six out that out of that seven seed the fight

For sixth is really really important the heat are right in that mix in the Eastern Conference and they had a nice win over the Sixers yesterday obviously no Joel embiid no Jimmy Butler Tyrus Maxi straw gold four of 20 from the field one of eight could just be a bad

Game against a scrappy defense and it probably is like that’s all I’m really going to I don’t want to over evaluate that uh I don’t know flop for the lack of a better term on Christmas Day big stage what have you unless you’re seeing something D or is there any thought to

Your mind like of a bigger issue of play because to me it just I’m throwing that one out he’s he’s been yeah so phenomenal all year long yeah I’m throwing that one out I think that was a a bad Tyrese Maxi game um really wasn’t forcing the issue initially and then he

Kind of just didn’t get into a rhythm the rest of the game and surprisingly you know of course this happens when Tobias Harris you know he’s been kind of inconsistent as usual and he goes off for 27 points um Kelly UB had a good game moamba had a sighting I

Think that this was just kind of a throw the Sixers it was good to see him in the rotation though um you know Paul Reed didn’t really play particularly well so it’s was nice to see Mo Bamba give them something different um but from the Sixers side of things I think that this

Is really you know they’re 0 and four with without him beat on the Flor they need their MVP and he’s been largely available for much of the season so I’m going to chalk this one up to a scrappy Miami defense that you know their you know depth certainly matters and this is

A team that I feel like they’re in the same mold of Denver just they’re not as star ridden in the starting lineup but like the depth of their team and the contributions that they’re getting from these you know seventh to ninth man guys there’s not many teams like that and

That’s what that’s what makes them a good playoff team so Caleb Martin did leave the game with an ankle injury he’s been playing pretty well but other outside of that man you when you get when Duncan Robinson finishes with a plus minus of 26 things went things went

Well so shout out Duncan man look look there’s all this talk in the fall about Man Poor Tyler hero had his name dragged through the mud about if he was good enough to be traded for Donovan last summer and then it was Damen this summer Duncan Robinson’s been in the trade you

Know wins for even longer and this guy got stapled to the bench last year and got you know dusted off for you know in a pinch in game adjustments and just came out guns blazing he was like the guy the heat were going to in crunch time they were running all their dunking

You know movement shooting to go back to that sets against Boston I remember in that game six with the Derek white tip in like there was a ton I mean Duncan Robinson now being a guy who can attack Closeouts and get to the rim shout out Duncan Robinson man great

Podcast seems like a lovely guy I watched his uh long interview with Mo Vagner before I wrote about fron and Mo and just like a delightful show delightful guy people love him down there shout out Duncan he’s killing it also dude his his true shooting percentage is like over 65% over the

Last two months dude’s been averaging 15 points over the last two months like he’s stepped in when Tyler herro was out and has played remarkably well and I think a lot of people were hating on the contract that he got he’s been on the trade block but this year he’s showing

Out and he’s showing up so yeah I agree with you man shout outs to Duncan shout out Duncan shout out haime hakz who yes put up incredible numbers in the last 17 games this is Hae Haw has’ numbers in the last 17 games since November 20th 17.4 points three assists a three

Shooting 52 % from the field 42% from three 86% from the line silly my parents my parents went to I forget who he played but their game on Friday night with two of their friends and after like the day after we recorded a show while I was in Orlando telling Dan Dan Calling

Haime haakas My Doppelganger my mother proceeds to tell me that haime haakas is the player she thinks is the cutest on the heat and she now has a crush on him oh God that’s weird so we got to deal oh that’s awkward that’s awkward reverse edifus type stuff in holiday season in

My household but that’s neither here nor there haime hawz runaway candidate for all rooky team and honestly this guy should be right there behind chat and Victor in the Rookie of the Year race like he is you talked about the Heat’s depth and you know they’ve got a

Bunch of six seventh men like Caleb Martin doing his thing like that’s kind of I think what the heat were expecting and hoping he could contribute this year be another one of those maybe undersized versatile four men who can we can put next to Bam and he can go do and he’s

Like to me clearly car this guy’s got to be starting he’s playing you know he’s basically playing 40 minutes a game whenever they need him to so what a guy what a player and now he has another woman crushing on him um so I I want to get your thoughts on I

Think you said it best actually um Shu in for all rookie team right now you have him third on the rookie ladder behind wanyama and Chad who would you put as four and five right now man here put me on the spot uh now I got to think of rookies I

Mean look depending on how pods can continue to be we see what happens there sure yep Derek livey though continues to just be the the rim protector that or not the rim protector the lob threat that L needed lob threat clella to his James Harden it’s been I mean he

Also I’m always impressed it seems so simple and like rudimentary but I’m always so impressed by big guys who can dunk without looking at The Rim cuz like look man yeah you’re moving at a million miles an hour all these people chopping at you and guards kind of coming under

Your leg landing pad and you can just kind of find the basket without looking at it that is a skill it is a real skill he’s awesome and Luca always hyping him up to me is yeah let’s just let’s take that into into MAV Suns did you watch

That game did you stay up late yeah I’m a West coaster so that that’s like the game I actually get to watch every night um so man just the the performance by Luca on Christmas and against the Phoenix Suns too because there’s always that that competition between him and Deon Booker

We know the history there but to go out seems friendly after the little miked up Deon asking how his daughter’s doing so that was that was nice that warmed my cold heart on Christmas but grant grant was ready to go though when they got that little that little scrap moment but

Um yeah I the the fact that Luca can go out and get 50 points six boards 15 dimes only the second person NBA history with 50 points at least 50 points and 15 assists it’s just just goes to show man how valuable he is and I know he hasn’t

Won a rookie um an MVP yet but the way that the Mavs are playing and when he finally has a big man that’s capable on offense that can play defense that can protect the rim but then also give you something offensively it just raises their ceiling I think the the comparison

Was great this is J the James Harden Clint capella that Luka Luca never had before and porzingis like their relationship wasn’t great he por his numbers were fine but I think what he what his offensive skill set is lends itself better in like a situation like Boston where it’s like Luca doesn’t need

Another person other than Kyrie there to kind of run things offensively he just needs a guy to clean up the mess and take some pressure off when he’s down hill and that’s exactly what Derrick Livy has been doing um he had a double double and I think he’s just going to

Continue to fall into that comfortability with Luka as in that two-man game and couple things so Luca F sixth time going going for 50 points or more seventh fastest in league history to 10,000 points so the last I guess the last person to get 10,000 points as

Early as Luca was Michael Jordan so I’d say the kids on a pretty nice little trajectory there yeah um but uh yeah I just think that the Dallas Mavericks before like I thought that you know Luca being so heliocentric was going to be a problem for them as they get deeper into

The playoffs but like I’m starting to think now the way that he’s getting these other unsung heroes involved like Derek Jones Jr mhm um there’s a very good chance that this Mavericks team is different than they were in years past so if they get Kyrie back this this

Squad’s gonna be really scary and a team that I don’t really want to see in the playoffs yeah he’s also L is just like having fun the headband is silly and he’s kind of embracing it saw some clip of him last night like running awkwardly with his legs like scissors to the uh

Locker room just yelling I’m fast I’m fast and that time he that time he offered a towel to the crying fan like the last time I saw this man live was in Manila and he was miserable and it was not an enjoyable experience to be in the gym

While he was dominating all of the action and crying to the refs the whole time like it just it’s it’s it’s a nicer experience to watch this super talented guy when he’s got a smile on his face and he’s cracking jokes and and yeah our our super producer John janeir is uh

Messaging me that fatherhood has made him happy like maybe it maybe that’s true you know Devon saying that on on the on the broadcast you know maybe that is what has really uh brought this guy some some holiday cheer for a full 2023 2024 campaign I don’t know on the on the

Other side Phoenix man yikes not not so happy over there and like I know there was on the on broadcast you know report that Kevin Durant you know people are starting to feel his frustration there like no man they suck they are out of they are under 500 I don’t I haven’t

Looked at this at the standings today they’re out of the playin picture for sure that the TM play in push that they have to go on it’s going to be brutal if Bradley Beal is playing two games all year which look yeah the sun’s yeah they

Are 11 they’re out of the plan right now 14 and 50 and half game behind the Golden State Warriors and there’s not much wiggle room to get better here like that’s kind of that was always what it was about and that was always the stakes

At play so these These are this is the paril this is what happened exact this is what happened in Brooklyn when you put these guys together when you put three max players together sure it sounds like the upside is there but the downside is all so so

So bad and it can get there really really fast especially when you’ve mortgaged all your tools to get you out of this there are teams like the Memphis Grizzlies who definitely I forget exactly particulars but made made that that deal of trading seconds for pix swaps who are definitely betting on the

Future of Phoenix being poor the Washington Wizards you can clown that returned for Bradley Beal but they got several valuable potential pick swaps with Fe Phoenix that you know that deal with uh kg and Paul Pierce in Brooklyn years ago ended up getting one of Tatum

Or brown I forget I’m sorry for the Boston Celtics because the Nets were so bad the pick swapped so dire circumstances I don’t know exactly what they can do to really move this thing forward they have nir Little’s $8 million salary which will be definitely talked about and around in the rumor

Mill but aside from that I don’t and I don’t know exactly how many players are coming in at $8 million salary and demonstrably changing your your upswing here because graay aen is super valuable to this team talk about movement shooting Ding dingding and he scored 32 last night he was their leading scorer

He’s done that multiple times this season where he gets hot from deep and it just kind of changes the geometry of that offense so man I feel bad for Phoenix let’s wrap this after your thought thoughts yeah I mean did you expect shamei metu to get 23 points and

Durant to only shoot 11 times uh throughout the game um you know him and Devin Booker was definitely uh defended very well um struggled I mean they combin for 10 for 22 from the field man so like I feel like at this point this issue is bigger than Bradley Beal coming

Back and saving the day I I think we’d all be we’d all be very surprised if it was Bradley Beal that was going to change the trajectory this team so there’s just way too many holes now um Yousef nerkish didn’t play in this game I think that that certainly mattered for

Their Rim protection but um I I don’t know that I expect that Kevin Durant’s goingon to demand a trade or anything like that I think he’s probably gonna see this through they just got to play better at this point there was a moment that I remember I think maybe uh I’m trying to

Remember who stole the ball someone ripped Durant and then Devin Booker was running back didn’t try to contest it whoever I think it was Tim Hardway Jr actually dunked it and you the mic caught him saying something like yo you’re not going to get back like yo

You’re not going to come back for this and turn the ball you’re not gonna run back right like those are the types of things that you got to fix that internally like this is effort this is um this is deeper than just playing better so I feel like they gota they

Gotta go back to the drawing board maybe it’s Frank vogle needs to figure out a way to motivate them again but I mean I think these L’s racking up it should be enough motivation for them to try to course correct and uh yeah Durance has got to be more effective man what he

Said after the post game was like oh well you know Grayson Allen was feeling it and metsu had his best game so I was just kind of like playing in the flow of the game it’s like bro you’re you’re Kevin Durant you need to shoot more than

11 times man um don’t be passive so we’ll see how this goes man but I think in terms of all the teams we talked about between the Lakers um the Lakers and the and the Suns who are you pressing the Panic meter more four i’ say I’d say Phoenix just because

They do have less to play with the Lakers don’t have a ton to play with either but they’ve kind of they’ve kind of made this bed and now they have to lie in it and fluff the pillows and figure out the one that they’ve been using underneath can like be more

Comfortable for a couple nights and then change that pillow out after another night of insomnia and you know keep pulling on that metaphor it’s they don’t have they don’t have a lot to play with that being said like they are motivated from an ownership standpoint and an office standpoint to push every every

Last chip in so they will be absolutely tweaking something like I I will be shocked if this is a team that does that we wake up on February 9th and they haven’t done anything so that’s at least something to hang your hat on and

Hope for I guess so would you so one one random question do you know who leads the league in charg is drawn is it Grayson Allen Tim Hardway Jr Tim Hardway Jr he’s having a hell of a year man is he speaking of guys who were on speaking of

Shooters who signed a contract that everyone immediately just crapped on and he’s been in talk forever man Sixth Man of the Year candidate dude he’s he’s doing it all and I I I was very surprised to see that just because typically you think of him as an offensively focused

Player but he was actually top 10 in in Chargers drawn last year too so um I think the commitment from him um on both sides of the ball and also you know the Mavs are playing with a lot of injuries right now between Dante exom getting minutes and playing well like this team

Is just really as you said I think there’s the there’s a fun element here that they’re all playing in They’re all playing buying in They’re all playing well um it’s just great to see great to see great to see you Dan Titus any any Final Fantasy thoughts before we get you

Out of here I mean how my Santi Alama last pick of the mock draft end up working out it looked great initially um especially with Stephen Adams being ruled out for the season shortly thereafter but that kind of It kind of wore uh it kind of ended you know the

Course kind of ended pretty quickly once uh Xavier Tillman started getting into the fold and all that but I thought it was really cool to see that because I’m like what does Jake know that we all don’t know um so that’s why he got a draft with

Insiders I I know I know that Memphis really likes him and they value his versatility he could play the four or the five I think they I think they can even think he can play him like Larry Markin and super siiz 3 and I knew they

Were going to be without jaw and if an injury were to arise he could get some opportunity but I did not know that I didn’t know out for the year yeah but now Memphis is back everything’s happy jaw’s there three and0 the Savior the Savior but I think it’s great for

The league it’s great for Memphis their floor is obviously raised they got quite the hole to dig themselves out of but it’s at least going to be fun to watch uh Memphis actually play some competent ball for the uh well now the regular season’s actually started now that

Christmas is over and now now it’s really about to take their stride but um yeah I’d say the one player that I would say look out for hold on to is Kobe white um and for much of the reasons that we talked about before was Zack LaVine and potentially getting traded

And the team playing better that being the Chicago Bulls without LaVine on the floor um they gave him an extension in the off season he’s going to be their future uh shooting guard of this team like I know what they’re going to do with you know Demar D rozan and go

Nicole vich whatever but I I think one main state that they’re going to have in their as a core piece now is Kobe White and the way he’s been playing right now he’s been a top 50 player in fantasy I don’t see that going down or away now

That you know Zack LaVine is away from the team and likely going to be traded at some point in this off in this in this season so yeah buy all the shares of Kobe white if you can some kobe white love some Derek white love and some Dan

Love Dan thank you man appreciate you that’s all we’ve got for today thanks to John janera for doing all the things he does to make this show look and sound great follow us on various social media platforms that are out there I am Jaco Fisher that is Dan Titus subscribe to

Bald don’t line on YouTube and whatever podcast platform you are currently listening on and leave us a festar review that would be such a lovely Christmas present for me and my Santa hat not an elf hat Santa hat we thank you for listening we’d appreciate it if

You came back again next week for another episode of No Cap Room

Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Dan Titus joins Jake Fischer on No Cap Room to recap all five NBA games that took place on Christmas Day.

00:00 – Hello friends!
05:40 – Jalen Brunson beats the Bucks
15:50 – The Nuggets’ perfect lineup vs. the Warriors’ youth movement
26:25 – Will the Lakers be forced to trade for LaVine?
36:00 – Jaime Jaquez is impressing in Miami
42:40 – Luka Doncic goes for 50 on the Suns, who seem lost
52:50 – Fantasy basketball thoughts

On this special episode of No Cap Room, Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Dan Titus joins Jake Fischer to recap all five games that happened on Christmas Day.

Jalen Brunson continued to prove the doubters wrong by being the best player on the court against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he might be entering consideration as an All-Star starter this year. Meanwhile, the Bucks have to figure out how to fix their perimeter defense without Jrue Holiday.

The Denver Nuggets’ have a perfect starting lineup, which makes it easier for Jamal Murray to step up when Nikola Jokic has an off game. The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, are finally being forced to lean on their young players now that some of their legends are struggling with consistency.

The Boston Celtics are clearly great and don’t really need to tinker at all. They didn’t struggle to put away LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers, who might be in the market for a scoring guard with Gabe Vincent getting surgery and D’Angelo Russell being moved to the bench. Is it all leading to a trade for Zach LaVine?

The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat played without Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler, leading to a weird game that only really served to highlight how great rookie Jaime Jaquez has been. Jake and Dan use it to discuss who would be on the All-Rookie team if the season ended today.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks carved up Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns. It got so bad that the microphones picked up Mavericks players asking why the Suns players weren’t giving more effort. The vibes are bad in Phoenix and there’s not a lot the team can do to improve the roster. It’s turning out a lot like the Brooklyn Nets’ failed experiment with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

Finally, before they get out, Jake and Dan talk about some fantasy basketball sleepers and some guys that you should be hanging onto if they’re on your bench.

#nba #jalenbrunson #michaelporterjr #brandinpodziemski #derrickwhite #losangeleslakers #phoenixsuns #kevindurant #duncanrobinson #lukadoncic #jaimejaquezjr #timhardawayjr #cobywhite

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