There’s more news and less comprehension today than any historical period that didn’t involve literal witch trials, and trying to stay on top of it all can feel like playing a game of telephone with 30 people, except everyone’s speaking at the same time and like a third of them are openly racist for some reason. From Cracked co-founder Jack O’Brien, THE DAILY ZEITGEIST is stepping into that fray with some of the funniest and smartest comedic and journalistic minds around. Jack and co-host Miles Gray spend up to an hour every weekday sorting through the events and stories driving the headlines, to help you find the signal in the noise, with a few laughs thrown in for free.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-the-daily-zeitgeist-28516718/
episode 36: What's Good in Motown with Mike Curtis
Jack is back this week and the guys were pleased to be joined by Detroit News beat writer Mike Curtis on today's episode! The trio discussed the start of the season for the Pistons and that exciting young core as well as plenty more action from around the league!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00
Speaker 1
And we're back with the full roster and we're breaking
00:03
down the early season of the I said, depray. What
00:07
I mean to say is the Detroit Pistons, and we're
00:09
gonna keep that in there because we're the Detroit Pistons.
00:15
And we're checking back in with the dub discussing a
00:18
point guard showdown between Jalen Brunson and John Morant, and
00:22
more with who you haven't heard this guy? You haven't
00:26
heard this guy even his own father. I think finally
00:28
heard of this guy anyway, and more with Detroit news
00:31
Beat writer Mike Curtis on today's episode, I'm Miles Gray
00:35
and I'm Jack O'Brien and this is Miles and Jack. Wow.
00:44
We that we didn't even learn. Okay, I like that
00:47
you knew. I knew you were going for the value.
00:49
But I said, you know what, I'm throwing it up.
00:51
Left it for me, let God and let go. Just
00:55
threw it up, left it there, and then I jumped
00:57
up and missed the ball. It up too high because
01:01
none of us came forward and landed landed on the stanchion.
01:06
I've dropped kicked a photographer on the baseline. Turned out.
01:09
Uh wait, Mike, Curtis is here. Hello, what's going on? Man?
01:14
Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me Fellas.
01:16
It's always good to get on here and talk a
01:18
little bit of basketball. Yes, of course, of course, you
01:21
know who are you a big fan of? Coming up?
01:23
I mean, first of all, I'm sure when you say
01:25
who you you were like the biggest fan of, it
01:27
will probably aid you. There's been a few shocking times
01:29
when people have said the teams they're fans of, and
01:31
I was like, I'm I'm so old, but please, Mike,
01:34
who who did you come up on? And you know, like,
01:37
what who are your favorite players? Going up? The Buffalo Braves,
01:41
Bob mcindoo. It's funny. I was raised and sacking on Michigan.
01:46
Okayo care when I was four, and I pretty much
01:49
grew up on the Pistons, So that's kind of all
01:52
I saw. Yum, I grew up a fan of the Pistons,
01:55
and I really enjoy Chauncey billips. Chauncey bill is my
01:58
favorite player. And it wasn't just because he was the
02:01
most flashiest. Um. He wasn't the most athletic. He'd probably
02:04
give you one dunk every year, but the way he
02:07
was able to shoot the way he was able to
02:10
kind of lead that group of guys. Um that really
02:12
stuck out to me. So I would definitely say Chauncey
02:14
Bills is one of my favorites, along with Dwyane Wade
02:18
and Allen Iris. I mean arguably one of the best.
02:21
But like the title team with the least like flashy
02:26
superstar like of the past twenty five years, and like, yeah,
02:31
so I gotta gotta be a lot of credit for
02:33
the for the leadership there, right, Yeah, yeah, Like when
02:38
you have a team with so many personalities, like there
02:41
was Chauncey that was ripped, that was tay Sean, there
02:44
was Rashid Wallace who pretty much got a TECH on
02:47
a nightly basis, and then first she got big ben Um.
02:51
In order for someone has got to like kind of
02:54
corral those guys together, and for Shauncey to do it,
02:56
I think that was pretty big of them. Did you
02:58
see that? That said basically, for someone to get Rashid
03:03
Wallace's TECH record the NBA season would actually have to
03:06
be a hundred and twelve games in order because with
03:09
the new rules to prevent like because he had like
03:11
forty one in his season, they said, for you to
03:13
get to forty one technical fouls in the season, you
03:16
need a hundred and twelve games just to deal with
03:18
the suspensions that come along. I did not say that,
03:21
And and it's so funny because I think they changed
03:23
the rule because of him. How you get suspended after
03:26
your sixteen right, exactly exactly. I don't see how he
03:30
hooped in air force once. I think that's part of
03:33
the mystery of Rashid Wallace, you know, like as someone
03:37
I mean, I grew up usually on the other side.
03:40
Oh man, when he almost became a Lakers coach, I
03:42
was like, this is the closest I've been to sheet.
03:45
I need this because I've been such a fan of his.
03:48
But yeah, his energy and pooping in high like air
03:52
force one highs, that's yeah, that's different. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
03:59
I gotta ask you, because I always like to ask
04:01
our our guests, who are you know, do this professionally
04:03
as credible journalists with you know, upstanding character? Has that
04:09
evolved your ability to end like as a fan? Are
04:11
you kind of in the camp of I've now because
04:14
I talk and live and breathe basketball so much and
04:17
cover it that I've transcended to the point of I
04:20
really appreciate it for what it is, and every now
04:22
and then I get in my fan bag, but I've
04:25
grown past it. Are you in that group? Are you
04:26
still You're still kind of in your fan back. Yeah.
04:29
So it's funny when when I, um, two thousand and eight,
04:33
when Chauncey got traded to the never Nuggets for alan
04:36
I Everson. Um, that's kind of when I separated my
04:40
fandom from the Pistons as a whole. Um. At that point,
04:43
I still didn't even know that I wanted to be
04:44
a journalist. Honestly, I wanted to be an architect because
04:48
I was a really good artist, and I wanted to
04:50
make money. So, yeah, that's about to go. Yeah literally,
04:54
did I know math and me does not mix whatsoever? Um,
04:59
So I change my major after my freshman year at
05:01
Tennessee State pursue journalism. But yeah, back then, that was
05:06
the last time I was really a fan of the Pistons,
05:08
and I think that allowed me to kind of come
05:11
into this role with an objective point of view. But
05:14
it's I've always been a fan of the game, just yeah,
05:17
fan of individual players, but it's not like you were
05:20
like a lucky pair of shorts underneath your clothing no
05:22
matter what season it is, because that might help the
05:24
team do better. Not at all. I don't even wear
05:29
the jerseys that I have anymore just because wow, that's wow.
05:36
I mean, I'm five months into the job, so wear
05:40
them again in the summer. But yeah, yeah, we're not
05:42
during the season. So Detroit is having kind of a
05:46
tough run, you know, going to and eight over the
05:49
last ten games, and Kaide was playing really well, but
05:53
he's been out since I think early November eleven nine.
05:56
I think might have a stress fracture in the shin.
05:59
My thought immediately goes to Wembang Yama. I don't know
06:04
if that's you know, I'm not a big Detroit fan,
06:08
but we were running through the teams that are like
06:10
kind of feeling that gravitational pool to the bottom of
06:14
the standings, and of those teams, like I think Detroit
06:19
would be my favorite, Like just as an NBA fan,
06:22
my favorite that you got Detroit, Orlando, Rockets, Spurs, Charlotte
06:26
are all seems like they're in range and like it
06:31
feels like having all three of those guys being young
06:34
coming up together, like and also having a big man
06:38
with with the two guards that that would be exciting.
06:41
Is that something that is crossing into the collective Pistons
06:45
fan consciousness and Pistons beat writer consciousness or how are
06:49
you guys feeling? Um, let me tell you this. So
06:52
every time I tweet out the injury report, because the
06:56
Pistons have been taking their fair share of lumps and
06:59
they're pretty much having five guys out pretty much every
07:03
night or they're being lists questionable. So every time I
07:06
tweet those out, um, the fans immediately say, oh, we're tanking,
07:11
Oh we're getting ready for women yama. Um. So the
07:15
thought is definitely out there, especially since the Pistons are
07:19
last in the league right now five and seventeen. It's interesting.
07:23
It's interesting when you think about like the trajectory of
07:26
how this team kind of wanted to compete at the
07:28
beginning of the season and they were even fans even
07:31
expected them to possibly compete for a playoff spot play
07:34
in spot. But um, that has quickly gone the other
07:38
way just because of all the injury trouble they have.
07:42
So I think I think fans are starting to think
07:44
that this team isn't gonna be able to kind of
07:47
get to that play in spot. So they're definitely kind
07:49
of looking towards the future. But I also think that
07:52
they definitely want to start piling up some wins pretty soon. Yeah,
07:55
because it feels like every moment there's like something to
07:57
feel good about, Like injuries just kind of completely start
08:00
the clock over, or just like there's that's always been
08:03
the big or at least this season from what I've seen,
08:06
you have, you know, like k getting injured or Babe
08:09
like coming. You know, they're just they're right when the
08:12
rebuild or something feels like it's it's coming together a
08:15
little bit, it just kind of sets you back. Now. Yeah,
08:19
I think for me, I was saying earlier, I was like,
08:21
I don't want to feel like one of these arrogant
08:23
fans who's like real patronizing to like other teams, Like yeah, man,
08:26
you know, I remember when of the Pistons they were
08:28
one of the best teams. It just doesn't feel like
08:31
the NBA without saying the Detroit Pistons are like one
08:34
of the top teams. And I don't mean that to
08:36
be patronizing, but it is something like I do wish
08:40
i'd want to see the Pistons do really well. So however,
08:42
it needs to happen, whether that's through the squad they
08:44
have or through new talent coming in, you know, like Wimby.
08:47
So yeah, I mean we already have like a repeat
08:50
of the eighties with the Celtics and the Lakers. Well,
08:55
you know that's saying that's what I didn't even say
08:58
that they invite any objective analysis of the Lakers. What
09:02
I could put Philly in there to struggling a little
09:05
flow start, Um, yeah, but I don't know. So, I
09:09
mean we are we are seeing the Warriors kind of
09:12
start putting it together a few of the teams that
09:14
got off to really slow starts. You know, the Warriors
09:17
started the year three and seven. They've gone eight and
09:19
three since the Steph season is pretty bonkers. It's yeah,
09:24
thirty one point four points per game, seven assists, seven
09:28
boards on fifty two percent and split, which is the
09:36
same or better than his unanimous m VP season, So
09:41
the same when you think about it, especially since um
09:44
he's much older in his career now. Um, but you
09:47
got to think about how the team has kind of progressed.
09:50
It It looked it appeared as if Clay was kind
09:52
of regressing a little bit, but now he's showing everyone
09:55
he could still perform at a high level. I think
09:58
it took four games to get his three point percentage
10:01
from like thirty three and now it's at forty, right,
10:04
So that's interesting. Dre miond is still playing at an
10:07
extremely high level despite everything that happened in the beginning
10:10
of the season with um Jordan's pool. So I think
10:14
I think it's interesting they're they're pulling it together at
10:15
the right time. I don't think anybody expected UM them
10:19
to have the slow start, but I think we all
10:22
expect them to kind of get it together and kind
10:25
of get back on track, right. I remember at the beginning,
10:28
I was kind of like, oh, what's happening to all
10:30
these players that we thought we're gonna make good in
10:32
this next season? But it is good now, Like you know,
10:35
Jonathan Comingo seems like he's slowly kind of finding his
10:39
feet there, uh and and and making it all work.
10:41
And you know where we were talking it was only
10:44
three weeks ago, were like, Clay, Hello, are you are
10:48
you there? Um it turns out yeah, he's still there.
10:51
Clay said specifically that he didn't play a lot in
10:54
the off season, because remember, like he was coming back
10:59
last season off of two injuries. You know, there was
11:01
the one that happened in the finals, and then in
11:03
the off season he was, you know, so ssick to
11:05
get back that he played a lot of ball and
11:07
tore his achilles. I think that was the second injury.
11:11
So he like kind of superstitiously or not decided to
11:14
not play a lot of ball in the off season.
11:16
So we're we're seeing him kind of play his way
11:18
into shape, and that might just be what this looks
11:20
like when you're just a little bit older. Can't count
11:23
them out. You can't count them out. One thesis I
11:26
had and like, we you know, I've just done very
11:28
loose research at this point, but you know, talking about
11:31
Steff shooting as well, I guess that's the one that
11:34
he's forty four percent this season. His m v P
11:36
season he was forty percent. But he's still like you know,
11:41
any anything over is pretty incredible. But just across the league,
11:45
the three point shooting like it started really hot, and
11:49
I was like, well, we'll see regression to the meme,
11:51
but we're still seeing, like you tell what Tanabi is
11:54
fifty seven percent, right, now seven percent, and like not
11:59
not on like you know, making one three a game.
12:02
He's he's shooting a lot of three. KCP is next
12:06
at forty nine point four percent. George Niang from my
12:10
seventies sixers is coming in the spot at forty four
12:15
point nine percent. And I only bring that up because
12:17
last year's leader for three point shooting was Luke Kennard
12:21
at forty four point nine percent. So I have, like,
12:24
I'm just wondering, did they figure something out, Like did
12:27
the offenses figure out something to like scheme to get
12:30
better looks? Is it just people building their game on
12:35
top of past games than like past practice regiments and
12:39
protocols and like just figuring out like this is what
12:43
you have to do to shoot well in the league,
12:45
And just everybody's getting better and better as the three
12:47
point shot becomes like a more and more important part
12:50
of offenses because you don't you don't expect it to
12:53
like go up that much. I kind of consider three
12:56
point shooting percentage to be a thing that we're at
12:59
a steady level now, you know. Obviously in the eighties,
13:03
I think I was looking up, like what what the
13:06
percentages were year over year, and they also had a
13:09
decade by decade, and in the eighties it was like
13:11
twenty eight percent. It was like people just threw it
13:14
up at the end of a shot clock basically. But
13:17
it's kind of got to thirty five percent in their
13:20
early two thousands and it's stuck there. But now it's
13:23
it just feels like this season is an outlier for
13:26
some reason. I don't know if that's a sign of
13:29
things to come or like even if you go by
13:31
a team by team, you know, the ninth ranked team
13:34
is shooting thirty seven point four percent. The number one
13:37
team last year shot thirty seven point three So like,
13:41
even at a team wide level, it's much higher. The
13:44
Celtics are leading the league shooting as a team from three. Yeah, well,
13:50
I mean, what could what could be? Because that's like
13:52
a pretty big jump. That's not like are we missing
13:55
something where someone who's more you know, has an intimate
13:59
knowledge of how this that's where it would be like
14:00
get like you're saying, like is it going to regress
14:03
to the medium or medium or what? But it seems
14:07
pretty pronounced when you're like, yeah, and the eighteenth best
14:10
shooter is shooting as well as the best shooter last season. Yeah,
14:14
I think I think it's really interesting. I don't want
14:16
to make it this simple, but it could Could it
14:19
be that teams just aren't playing a lot of a
14:22
lot of defense. I think that that could be an
14:25
aspect of it, because you've got a lot of teams
14:27
now that that are switching almost everything. Um and sometimes
14:31
a big is on the guard, sometimes the guards on
14:34
a big and yeah not nowadays a lot of guys
14:37
only need this much space in order to get their
14:40
shot off, so that could be a contributing factor. But
14:43
I think it is interesting how they're a ton of
14:46
guys just lightening it up from three point range right now? Yeah, yeah,
14:49
the switching that does seem to be a trend, right
14:51
the like change this year, And presumably, like the only
14:55
reason that somebody would pick up on a trend and
14:57
like make it their defenses kind of m O is
15:00
because they think it gives them an advantage. But obviously,
15:04
if if everybody's shooting better from three, then that's that's
15:07
not really the case. But maybe maybe it's leading to
15:09
better inside defense or something. We might have to have
15:12
a stats on what was the guest we had that
15:17
one time, who's like the number cruncher. Oh yeah, was
15:21
it Tim? Yeah? Yeah, yeah yeah. Oh. But I mean look,
15:25
and I think another thing, if if, if they're going
15:28
to be taking you know, new approaches to defending I
15:32
just have to shout out, you know the cornet uh
15:36
corn hop up in your face, spreading baby, because Marcus
15:40
Smart even pulled it. And I just I just these
15:44
these two clips just kind of brought a smile to
15:46
my face because there's something so funny. I don't know
15:48
about why, just like this simple Hey, I'm jump in
15:52
your face and hopefully throw you off. But the first
15:54
one is where is it at? Uh? Here we go?
16:00
This is from what last night or two nights ago.
16:03
I guess that'll be Sunday for those listening. But here
16:06
this is against uh, this is against Washington. I just
16:09
want to play this clip where you won't see it,
16:11
but you will know that Cornett takes the leap and
16:14
Jordan Goodwin is not able to make the shot. Trashic
16:19
Roger on his shot the paint and just contest the
16:23
shot by jumping straight out. And we've seen him do
16:25
this throughout the season. He's like, it's the thing I've
16:27
always done. And the numbers back it up. Well, I
16:32
haven't like done the dive on the numbers, but presumably
16:35
he has. And then later in the same game, I
16:39
think it might be the next possession. No, no, this
16:42
is later. This is later in the game. But yeah,
16:44
you got smart even saying, you know what, let me
16:47
go ahead and try that little that cornet contest again,
16:55
jumping from you know, he's a little bit closer, so
16:58
he hasn't fully but it was so early, you know
17:01
what I mean, Like, it's so it's when I see that,
17:04
I'm like, okay, if you have the defensive player of
17:08
the year being like, let me let me see if
17:12
I want to even tinker with that, that's part of
17:14
my game. I'm like, there's gotta he's he's must be
17:17
seeing Something's like, there's there's something to it. I'm still
17:20
trying to put my finger on it. But yeah, you
17:22
know what that reminds me of, um, I used to
17:25
I used to be a big video game guy, and
17:27
I still am. I played too care from time to time,
17:30
but we used to play NBA Street and you used
17:33
to just sit in the paint and just wait until
17:36
your opponent shot their three pointer because you could jump
17:39
all the way up and just blocks. Yeah, clearly goal
17:47
right right right, we'll see. That's why I need somebody
17:49
to a game breaker in the middle of the game,
17:51
like an NBA street and see if they really can,
17:53
you know, come with the same effects. And I need
17:56
Barbito uh calling the game on the sideline because that
17:59
was one of my favorite parts of that game. Yeah. Yeah,
18:02
maybe people are just giving up on defense. They're like,
18:04
I don't know, I'll just jump from the paint and
18:06
see if they three. And that's but right, like you're
18:11
only seeing the two times that worked. Meanwhile, across the league,
18:16
it's an epidemic of accurate three pointers. But we do
18:19
talk about how players like build you know, the the league,
18:22
the play is progressive. Players get better by building their
18:25
game on top of other people's games. Like we talked
18:28
a few weeks back about Bones Highland and like how
18:31
he has this like herkey jerky ability to like get
18:34
a foot of space well in the paint as a
18:37
you know, smaller player, and like, I don't know, that
18:39
reminds me of Job. I'm sure he wouldn't be, Like
18:41
I modeled my game after Job, but I'm sure watching
18:45
somebody who can create space like while staying close to
18:49
the ground, is you know something something that at least
18:52
is inspiring to be like, oh, yeah, I do I
18:54
do that move. I know, I just never thought I
18:56
could do it in the NBA or something. So but
18:59
like three points you doing, you don't expect them to
19:01
be like, oh, try and make them interesting. Hold on, Steph,
19:07
So what are you trying to do? So you're trying
19:09
to make them when Okay, Wardo, I didn't know that.
19:13
Get that one. All right. Let's real quick talk about
19:16
our Underrated Performers of the Week, which is the segment
19:19
where we highlight some of the best performances that may
19:22
have flown under the radar of uh, you know, lesser
19:26
NBA fans than us. Obviously didn't under our radar. But
19:29
George Niang scored eighteen off the bench, five for seven
19:32
from deep in twenty three minutes and a win over
19:35
the Magic Um. Not not for nothing, but Philly is
19:38
six and two over their last eight um at the
19:42
time of this recording, with the last three games being
19:45
without Embiid and Harden, and I believe the last one
19:48
was that without Maxie and they won by thirties. So um,
19:53
I don't know. How they're doing it. Christian would put
19:56
up twenty one point seven boards off the bench for us.
19:59
The Bucks, Uh kind of slowly getting the trust of
20:02
Jason Kidd. Seth Curry is coming back to being Seth
20:06
Curry twenty nine points off the bench, seven of ten
20:09
from deep. So I mean with Watson, Abi and Curry
20:13
like just bombing from from deep, that makes them much
20:17
more dangerous. And then Malcolm Brogden seventeen six assists, four
20:22
rebounds and twenty three minutes off the bench. Like that's
20:25
exactly why we we were like, oh, that trade is scary. Yeah,
20:30
I was. I was waiting for a name and you
20:32
didn't say, what's the name? Kevin Knox Kevin Knox twenty
20:38
one UM, six of eight from three and they helped
20:43
He helped the Pistons beat the Jazz Um over the weekend. One. Yeah,
20:49
that was actually fifth on our list. We just didn't
20:52
include it. But yeah, that obviously did not fly under
20:55
our radar. Yeah, now that was pretty significant just because um,
20:59
he's had kind of a up and down career since
21:02
he's been drafted UM to the Knicks as a lottery pick.
21:05
That kind of didn't pan out. Um he played sparingly
21:08
when he was with the Hawks, and now he's trying
21:09
to get that quote unquote second chance with the Pistons.
21:12
So um, they really enjoyed the intensity and the level
21:16
of play that he's brought over the past week or so.
21:19
There it is, all right, should we take a break,
21:21
come back, talk about Lebron zoo Bach, you know the
21:25
two first names that got pop into your head when
21:27
you're thing, yeah, uh, Lebron and zoo Bach. And then
21:32
we'll we'll be right back together again and we're back.
21:45
We were just talking best masked performances. Rip Hamilton, you
21:51
know who just liked liked it so much he kept
21:54
it throughout his career, the mask Man. And even then
21:57
we couldn't even give him a superlative for for Rip
22:00
Hamilton because shooting guards of the of all time, I mean,
22:05
that's I think that's pretty pretty rarefied air. But you know,
22:11
we were pointing out that Lebron put up how many
22:14
with with a mask on? Put the mask back on Lebron.
22:20
When em Bead plays with a mask, it feels like
22:24
how I would feel like it's the most I ever
22:27
identify with Joe lmbad when he has a mask on
22:30
and he's like I can't see and like it's just
22:33
like I hate the way it feels on my face.
22:35
I'm like, yes, you get that is me after two
22:38
houses of trick or treating when I was a kid kills.
22:43
I just want to get out of it. But Lebron
22:46
stepped into the time machine this week nine, like again
22:50
over the spurs as many people were reminding me, hey,
22:54
did you see that they were they were they were
22:57
really trying and they still got by. But yeah, it's
23:00
he's he continues to impress. Although look, I it's it's
23:05
so I have to watch every game with restrained excitement
23:10
because I just have to say, now my bar is
23:13
that we're we improve That's all I want. I just
23:16
want to see some kind of incremental improvement and then
23:19
I'll probably get to the New Year and then completely
23:21
lose my mind as a fan and then be like,
23:23
how come we're not in the playoff type like playoff
23:27
race right now? But for right now, it is nice
23:29
to see and it is nice see Lebron still, I
23:32
think showing people that he is he's still Lebron because
23:36
I know, like as of this recording, we're gonna be
23:38
playing the Pacers and Matherin if you remember, he was like,
23:42
I don't know if anybody is better than me right now. Yeah,
23:45
uh so that has a potential to be a very
23:47
interesting game. But yeah, it's nice to see and Matthew
23:51
is playing extremely well, like he's definitely in a running
23:53
for Rookie of the Year, especially if Paolo can come
23:57
back and kind of get back healthy and j Nivey
24:00
has to come back and get healthy. So but I
24:02
feel like that's three man race right there for Ricky
24:04
of a Year. Yeah, it'll it'll be interesting to see
24:07
if Lebron comes out with a chip on his shoulder
24:10
right because the Ricky has been kind of talking trash
24:13
and start to even played an NBA game, which I like,
24:18
you know a lot of people are like, man, he's
24:19
out of he's all he's lost his mind saying stuff
24:21
like that. But part of me's like, you know, let
24:23
these young guys come in there with their chest thusand
24:26
maybe if Lebron has to remind him of his age
24:29
or whatever, then so be it. And if not, then
24:31
we have a fun moment. But I'm not I'm not
24:33
as mad because I'd rather see people be a little
24:35
more arrogant than humble. Sometimes it helps inspire others. Um.
24:38
This also makes Lebron both the youngest player to ever
24:41
go thirty ten with seven May threes, and the oldest
24:45
to ever do it. Which yeah, they don't go. But
24:49
Lakers started on five, seven and six. Since then, UM,
24:53
seven and six with Russ coming off the bench. Uh,
24:57
shot from beyond the arc through the first five of games,
25:00
and I don't know, Lebron's Lebron's three looked really like
25:05
the best I've ever seen it in that game. You
25:07
guys were saying that that was an anomaly, but just
25:10
like the stroke felt like very smooth and all one motion.
25:14
And I don't know if he could if he could
25:16
put it together, that would be that would be some
25:18
Bron James guy can put it together. Just Lebron got
25:22
here right together. I think there. I think he might
25:24
be making some noise later this season. Yeah, I mean,
25:28
we'll see. Remember there was a point in time where
25:30
we didn't even talk about Lebron in the regular season
25:33
up until a certain point, maybe until March April when
25:36
the playoffs were starting, right kind of get going. But
25:40
since he's been in l a Barn title. UM it's
25:45
always a conversation about our Lakers gonna make the playoffs
25:48
and Lebrian get it together? Does he have enough help?
25:51
M and I feel like we have that conversation every year. Yeah,
25:55
and we'll continue to, especially when Lebron is just in
25:58
the papers too. It's like, write this part out, say, um,
26:01
Lakers now believe they are two players away from potentially
26:05
being contenders. Yeah, right, that right? The right? That okay? Think? Yeah,
26:08
super producer Ary just said he's currently at twenty eight
26:11
point seven percent from deep but rising, So that would
26:16
have been good in the eighties. That's right. League average,
26:19
um zoo bach. So, uh, this feels more like the
26:23
season we've been seeing, which is people like the league average,
26:28
the players who I think we're perceived as replacement level
26:32
just coming through and wrecking people Like for a gamer
26:36
two put up a thirty one and twenty nine first
26:41
Indiana thirty one points, twenty nine board three, three blocks,
26:45
first player to do that in an NBA game since
26:48
Kareem in. So that's a compliment to say, like you're
26:55
putting up Kareem in the seventies numbers, you know what
26:59
I mean? Wow, Yeah, that's okay, okay wow. I definitely
27:05
think it was a mistake for the Lakers to trade
27:07
away zo oh my. I think that was one of
27:10
their biggest mistakes in terms of kind of the Lebron era,
27:14
because you had a solidified center who could score in
27:17
the post, he could rebound black shots. I think they
27:20
definitely missed out by training him aways some clip. Oh,
27:24
I don't know they got good return, right who they they? Oh? No,
27:27
they did. They didn't get which I don't even remember
27:30
who was involved in that trade. I mean, first of all,
27:33
it was against Miles Turner, right exactly. He put up
27:38
those numbers against Miles Turner when the headline previously was
27:41
like maybe clippers. Now. I think there's two theories. One
27:47
is that zoo Box was like, okay, watch this is this?
27:52
Is this your God? Is this your king? Like when
27:55
he comes through and he's like this is who you wanted?
27:58
Or did Miles Turner be like I don't want to
28:00
play over there? Yeah? Yeah, bro, do what you want,
28:02
Do what you want. I don't want. I don't want
28:03
to play for the clip. That's a very Laker brand
28:06
interpretation what he did. He was just trying to put
28:11
him off. Man that's what. But yes, it could be
28:15
and I think, but yeah, it was. That's I mean again,
28:17
it's impressive, and I think it's a moment to where
28:20
it inspires another player to perhaps be like, oh I
28:23
hold on, this person may take my spot. Let I mean,
28:27
there's been there's been a lot of like Job versus
28:29
Brunson was a lot of fun that back and forth.
28:32
Jah ended up having a triple double and ten Bronson
28:37
had thirty nine. Is this five rebounds? Brunson has been
28:41
his last four games as this recording like thirty seven.
28:47
So he's who they thought he was. I guess, Yeah,
28:50
I just like I saw this headline that apparently the
28:54
first time ever John Morand's dad, like ever in Jaw's career.
28:58
This is the first time his father asked for his
29:00
jersey from a game. Yeah, And it was just like,
29:03
I guess And because I think he said his dad
29:05
has like he has like a very special feeling about
29:08
Madison Square Garden and the fact that he had a
29:10
triple double there, he was like, Okay, okay, Son, you
29:13
know what, I believe the hype. Now, I guess you
29:16
are good at basketball. My dad once asked for my
29:18
jersey after a game. But it was more the way
29:20
that like a police captain asks for someone's bead and
29:24
they really screw up, Just be like, hey, man, I
29:27
need your jersey on my desk in the morning. Hold on, man,
29:30
how did you put the ball back a defensive rebound
29:33
or in a free throw? And you just put it
29:35
back at what was that? And it was a three? Somehow?
29:41
I mean, look, I gotta tell you, man, that step
29:43
back three was cold. But I need your jersey and
29:49
your sneakers now on my dead So free from three
29:51
on your own basket, but two for three on the
29:54
opponent's basket? How how? Yeah? Oh man? And then Jeremy
30:00
to also porn forty four? Uh, he's And I know
30:05
we're looking back on our predictions in a later episode,
30:07
but I feel like, very early on, I think we
30:09
were saying why look out for Jeremy Grant this season,
30:11
weren't we? Jack? I was saying that. I'm saying he's
30:14
liable to put up thirty and twelve. Sorry I was
30:18
reading the wrong spec He's liable to put up forty
30:20
four points against the nixt in an O T win
30:24
without Damian Lillard exactly. Yeah, he's in a really good
30:27
position now that he's um kind of out in Detroit.
30:30
I think um he was kind of tasked with being
30:33
the guy when he was here, and it kind of
30:35
led to what kind of didn't fit, especially the way
30:38
Detroit wanted to have their roster with k coming in.
30:41
Now Kay gets to kind of shoulder that offensive production
30:44
and Jeremy kind of gets to play. He's I think
30:47
he's the third option behind Damian Lillard and signments, so
30:50
he gets to kind of play free in a way
30:52
that I don't think he had the opportunity to when
30:55
he was in Detroit because so much attention was on him.
30:57
So he's at year and that's when when you add
31:00
a score like that, sometimes it can be you know,
31:04
they need the ball too much. It's like their gravitational
31:07
force and like the the offense kind of collapses around them,
31:11
and it's not it's not as helpful or is not
31:15
as good a fit. But like to add somebody who
31:17
is just like yeah bye, by being the third option,
31:21
it actually helps my game is is pretty Uh you
31:25
know that that worked out nicely for them. Yeah, alright,
31:28
let's take another break and we will come back with
31:31
the fastest segment in podcasting, The Rapid Fire, and we're back. Ah,
31:49
Mike Curtis, you thought you were ready. Well, the great
31:57
state of Michigan can only prepare you so much for
32:00
what you're about to endoor. I know the winters can
32:03
get cold over there, but nothing is colder than this
32:07
segment more unforgiving than this segment called the rapid Fire
32:12
Round of questioning. Now we're gonna ask you a question.
32:15
You just give us your answer, just reflectively, don't think
32:18
about it too much. Just keep keep it moving, okay,
32:20
because we want to keep our title as the fastest
32:22
segment in sports podcasting. Uh with the show that starts
32:26
with a M. And I do just want to clarify
32:29
that the seat, your seat will be hot. The the
32:34
fire is rapid, but but the our responses will be
32:39
called and unforgiving, just so because I know it can
32:41
get confusing sometimes. Oh yeah, yeah, yes, sorry, he's still working.
32:45
I'm kind of working that. I was just gonna say,
32:47
because you know, Mike, you're you're paid to right words,
32:49
How would do you have any notes for that? How
32:52
was that? That was pretty good? Okay? Good, that's what
32:54
I thought, Jack. You see, Mike Curtis said, it was okay,
32:58
So I will no longer believe you when you so
33:01
hate on my name. Well, it sounded like you said
33:03
it was pretty good based on what I heard or
33:05
how I interpreted enthusiastic. Um. Anyway, let's get to this.
33:10
This is the rapid f irenic questioning start the clock
33:15
Jackson's you want you want to go first? Yeah? I
33:17
would love to go first. Thank you for asking. Good,
33:20
go ahead? Oh Joy, I thought you said, oh first, Okay, no,
33:25
but I'm going first, right? Yeah, Mike, you can pick
33:30
any three sharpshooters from history for the ultimate three point
33:33
shooting contest. What's your three play? Thompson, Steph Curry and
33:39
by Allen Ray? Now, what is it about Ray? Allen
33:45
that made you say that? I think it's just because
33:48
his consistency. He releases it the same way every time.
33:51
It doesn't matter how it catches, it doesn't matter where
33:53
he is on the floor. I think it's pretty much consistent. Um.
33:57
With Steph, it doesn't matter how it comes off. Pretty much.
34:00
He got has that muscle memory down pretty much. Um,
34:04
always going in. And then with Clay, we've seen him
34:08
as one of the best stand if not the best
34:10
stand sale shooter um in league history. So who wins
34:13
between them? I'm gonna say, Clay, Yeah, on a on
34:19
a hot night, you gotta keep I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
34:22
You know Jack, I know what you're about to say.
34:24
On a hot night, this segment has to be going
34:26
faster exactly hot night like this. Please please, man, we
34:32
gotta we gotta keep this. I was ready. Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay,
34:37
Mike Curtis, how about this one? Now you have the
34:41
chance to win ten thousand dollars to make a layup
34:43
with each hand, twenty five thou dollars to make at
34:45
least four or five free throws, or a hundred thousand
34:49
dollars to make at least three of five from deep.
34:52
Which challenge are you taking? I'm taking a free throw challenge? Wow? Okay?
34:57
Confidence last week got the same answer four out of five.
35:00
You're feeling real confident. So you're I don't trust my
35:03
left hand um with the left wow? Yeah, and my
35:07
range is kind of limited since I'm five for six,
35:10
so to shoot any three pointers? Yeah? The lay up, man,
35:13
I remember layup lines on the left side. I'm almost
35:17
had a had panic attacks like I would pray I
35:20
would go up with that left I'm like, please let it, yes,
35:23
thank you, I'm still on the team. I would do
35:26
like a reverse layup on the right side, but then
35:28
I'd accidentally run into the rebounder and then you know,
35:32
I'd sho and one but it would never go in.
35:37
But yeah, I mean this goes back to the pitch
35:40
that we've been sending to the NBA. I guess we
35:43
might as well say it on the thing. Replace the
35:46
three point shooting contest and the dunk contest with free
35:50
throw shooting contests. You know, thank you. That's what people
35:53
want to see. They don't want to see anything else.
35:56
They want to see who's consistent over and over again.
36:00
I would like to say that with the worst free
36:02
gar shooters in the league, yeah, wow, better viewing experience
36:09
and like yeah, and then like people who have no
36:10
business dunking in the dunk contest, like just invert all
36:13
of them, you know what I mean, Like, the worst
36:16
three point shooters in the league are now also going
36:18
to be in the three point contest, so like to
36:20
add some fun to their dunks, they have like choreographed
36:23
dances ahead of each one, and then do you see
36:25
like a little like one handed dunk whatever they gotta do,
36:29
you know what I mean, and they get more props.
36:30
I think these are all fantastic ideas. These are great ideas. Yeah,
36:34
so I think I'm up. Is that correct? Yeah? I
36:37
think I get to ruling them from the judges. What
36:41
is the new rule, Mike. They like to see implemented
36:43
or altered effective immediately. And this can be as you know,
36:48
serious as outlawing defensive three second or you know, as
36:53
silly as taking the air out of the ball for
36:56
a quarter and every everybody just has to play with
36:58
a floppy basketball. Okay, I'm gonna semi serious and say
37:03
I want the NBA to implement the feeble rule, where
37:06
you can touch the ball when it's on the when
37:08
it's on the rim, pretty much blocking it. So I
37:13
think that would be pretty pretty entertaining, especially when guys
37:17
aren't as used to it and everyone probably thinks his
37:19
golden especially if you haven't watched the international game, right,
37:23
I'll say that one that feels like something that if
37:25
somebody was good enough at it, you could just time
37:29
it so perfectly that like you just get somebody who
37:32
is one of the best volleyball players in the world
37:35
and just come and spike every shot the second it
37:38
gets to the rim. I like that, yeah, and that
37:41
they need to introduce the staff for it. How many
37:42
how many men shot block off right? Or if one
37:47
of the best players in the league already happened to
37:50
be a great volleyball player when they were young, Like
37:53
I don't know, Joe l embiid uh, I like this idea. Yeah,
37:59
he was a volleyball play, a multi hyphen a. This man, Mike,
38:05
I said, man, what do we say? We gotta keep
38:07
this going. I gotta ask you one of the most
38:09
important questions I've ever asked anybody on this podcast, which
38:12
is Mike Curtis, what are your top three throwback jerseys
38:17
of all time? Um? The Royal Blue, Kobe Bryant eight,
38:23
Lebron's Brookie jersey, the white one. H um U, let's
38:30
go with m Red black. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's a
38:42
jersey I always wanted. And I remember the shorts. I
38:46
could not find the shorts anywhere in l A. I
38:48
remember that, like that year that was like the hottest
38:51
whooping item you could own. Where the Black Bulls shorts
38:54
couldn't find them anywhere. They say, to this day, I
38:58
haven't recovered, and that's why I got into podcasting. I
39:02
believe them, all right. And finally, most important question of
39:05
the night. I know Myles like to say that the
39:08
last one is the most important, but this is really
39:10
it on arrogant? Is it Jack Miles or supersound engineer
39:16
Brian Miles? Mhm, yeah, that's right, that's the right answer.
39:24
That's correct, that's correct. With flying colors, I knew you
39:28
were intelligent. I knew you're an upstanding journalist who had
39:32
just the sense of and judgment of character like I knew.
39:35
And also remind me your vemo against I. I can
39:38
send you that on an unrelated, unrelated thing, unrelated thing, Jack,
39:43
completely unrelated. We even gave him the out of Brian
39:46
when he picked Miles. I don't even know what I
39:49
just answered, yeah, but you did answer. Confidently, you did answer,
39:56
and you answered some thought we did. And look, we
39:59
like to have him pick you know what I mean.
40:01
We just and it's totally fair, and that's that would
40:04
be my pick as well. No no offense to engine
40:07
Thank you, Jack, thank you so much. You honor me,
40:10
You honor me. But Mike Curtis, Thank you so much
40:12
for honoring us by appearing on our show. Where can
40:16
people you know find you? A read you follow you,
40:19
all that kind of stuff? Yeah, thanks for having me again, guys.
40:23
Um it was really fine. On my Twitter is Mike A.
40:26
Curtis too. Um. You can find me on there, at
40:29
least while Twitter is still active. I don't know if
40:32
it's gonna be here tomorrow, but if not, then you
40:35
can find me at the Detroit News. I'm pretty much
40:38
writing stories pretty much every day, so check me out
40:41
there subscribing. Thanks for all to support. And we asked
40:45
a listener which game you would travel back in time
40:48
to experience, and our boostis listener of the Week Aaron
40:52
and mix c, who said, as I heard the intro
40:56
music today, I thought this is Jack's week to finally
40:59
get chosen during Rapid Fire, and then he wasn't even there.
41:02
Won't um in reference to the last episode where I
41:05
was missing because I was, you know, working with my
41:08
therapist about the fact that I'm oh and thirty. I think, look,
41:14
records aren't records. No, It's okay, And you know, my
41:17
therapist was like, just walk walk into it. Prepare for
41:21
the fact that you're never gonna get picked. She was like,
41:24
You're never gonna get picked. And I also like that.
41:26
We're like, which game would you travel back in time?
41:29
And then Aaron's like, man, I can't believe Jack took
41:32
an L and he wasn't even then have some have some?
41:36
Just yeah yeah, And I like to anyway, make sure
41:41
you give us a follow on Twitter at mad boost
41:44
these yeah b O S T I E s. And
41:49
you know, I'll continue to keep improving and getting uh
41:54
you know better. So maybe one day I I get
41:57
a win, but even if not, I'm gonna be happy
42:00
and good with good attitude. That's what I like about you, guys,
42:03
hustle players, you know what I mean, just flying all
42:05
over the court given heart, you know what I mean.
42:07
May not have all the talent, you know, but you've
42:09
got the heart and nuts what matters a lot of you.
42:11
Ever invite me back on I'll be sure to take you. Jack, Oh,
42:14
thank you so much that and it sounds like it
42:16
would be genuine and totally earned. And you know what,
42:19
why don't we invite you back right now and do that?
42:21
Like no, no, no, it's okay. This is this is
42:26
what we talked about therapist, talk about you right here
42:30
right Well, shout out Dr Phil, Yeah, yeah, Dr Hey,
42:33
at least you're listening to Tim mcgirl. Thanks shout out
42:36
to you man. Well, thanks so much for listening this week.
42:39
We'll be back next week and tune in for the
42:42
mysteries that surround the league and whether or not our
42:45
guests will make the right choice during the rapid round question.
42:50
Until then, we'll be us and you'll be you. Bye
42:52
bye fo