The Shot Clock Pod

NBA Endgame Strategies and Surprises - The Shock Clock Pod

In this episode of 'The Shock Clock Pod,' hosts Jose Salviati and Steve Purciello dive into pressing NBA topics. They discuss players who are ineligible for NBA honors due to not meeting the 65-game requirement and debate whether the 65-game limit is beneficial. They also cover the impact of star players missing games and the notion of shortening the NBA schedule. Steve highlights the impressive recent performances of Clippers' center Ivica Zubac and contemplates the implications of new ownership for the Celtics. Finally, they analyze the surprising struggles of the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers as the season winds down. The episode wraps up with predictions and insights into the playoff prospects for these teams.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:54 Discussing the 65-Game Limit for NBA Honors
02:26 The Impact of Game Limits on Players and Teams
04:12 Shortening the NBA Schedule: Pros and Cons
05:07 Highlighting an Underrated Center: Ivica Zubac
08:12 Boston Celtics' New Ownership: What to Expect
11:45 Struggles of the Knicks and Cavaliers
16:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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[00:00:00] Jose: All right, it's time to talk basketball. I'm Jose Salviati, Editor at thePeachBasket.net. He's Steve Purciello, a longtime educator, vice principal, high school basketball coach and athletic director. And this is the Shock Clock Pod at the best 15 minutes of NBA. Random thoughts online anywhere. Stop looking. I. You found it. This is your first time listening. Welcome. We're so glad that you did find us. This ....podcast was born Outta the content in Steve's 13 Rules Random MBA Thoughts articles, which he publishes weekly. Steve and I have exactly 15 minutes to discuss what's on his mind around the MBA. Today we'll discuss his latest 13 rules. Ran an NBA thoughts article where he shares his thoughts after week number 22. Hard to believe the season's winding down. Week 22, just finished of the 20 24, 25 NBA season. Lots of good things to talk about. Steve, are you ready? Steve: Ready. Jose: Let's do it. Clock is. On. Okay. We'll start with an interesting list that you presented of all of the [00:01:00] players that are ineligible for honors in the NBA, after not having played enough games, as well as how many games left to play for certain star players. It's a long list. Click the link, you'll see it somewhere here to see that list. I thought it was fascinating to see how many players can't be considered and how many games left for some other players. So in general, Steve. Why'd you share that list? Do you like the 65 game limit? Do you not like it? What was the point of sharing it? Steve: You share it. need to understand to get an award, you have to play 65 games. I believe Minutes in a game, you just can't go out there and walk off. There's money involved. If you are a selected first, second, or third team, all NBA. You get a, Jalen Brown is a great example of that. He cashed in on that because he made second team two years ago and that gave him he's making ridiculous money. 60 60 million or so, or he will be so it's what they want. Now, for a guy like Brown, he's gotta play nine out of the next 11 [00:02:00] games to get to 65. But you know what? He got his cash. He still got, I think, three more years on his contract. So I becoming all league, all NBA. I don't know if that's a major thing for a guy like that. He did it and he got it, for some people it is a major thing. It should be a prestigious thing for a lot of players because you're recognized as one of the 15 best in your league. Do I Jose: Yeah. Steve: Yes. Why? What's going on now in the NBA, if you are like me and you watch the league pass, you're looking at night and you've got right away, you eliminate Washington, Charlotte, Utah, any games with those teams involved? Why? Because not only are they trying to lose, all their good players are sitting out. Last night the Utah and marketing didn't play, Jordan. Jose: right. Steve: play. So you are looking at it. unless you're a crazy fan. Why, what the results are. Unless Boston, the bus cracks up or something they're gonna win. And so Jose: [00:03:00] Yeah. Steve: going on. And it's very difficult now to find, and even when good teams play, two good teams play. You know what and again, I'll use Boston's about six games ahead of the Knicks. They're gonna come in second. So why would I play Tatum every night? Why would I play Jalen? Jalen Brown's hurt right now, but why would I do that? would I play, get them ready for the playoffs? Poor zingus. God, he gets hurt easy. So watching games at the end of the year is not fun. You want something that'll motivate guys to play more. And that's it. And it's fascinating how many guys have gotten honors before that were on the list I gave that are ineligible. And here I'll give you one more. Victor Wema. Jose: Right. Steve: the defensive player of the year, and he probably would've made second or 13. NBA, he can't do it. Even LeBron needs a few games to, to get to it. Jalen Brunson needs four games and who knows when he's coming back. So it's really, it's a sad situation [00:04:00] is what it Jose: Yeah. Steve: And the NBA has little choice but to do this, to try to motivate them. Now what's interesting, and I mentioned in the article, and I'm segueing off the subject, I did talk about. Bill Simmons did in a podcast A 69 game schedule and starting later because of the NFL in, in early December might be a good idea. And it might be Jose: Yeah. Steve: if you cut games, it works. The only problem, as I said was the money. Less money but That's my take. I do like it. Jose: listen, and I'm glad you pivoted off of that. We've only got so much time. We limit ourselves to 15 minutes, but it's important to know that Steve writes about other stuff and he did write about that 69 game schedule proposed by Bill Simmons. It's fascinating. I've been a proponent of shortening the schedule and yeah. Finding that sweet spot. But at the end of the day. It all comes down to money and nobody's gonna wanna take money off the table even if it means, a better product better players, better health. [00:05:00] Doesn't matter. It's money talks. All right. Let's pivot real quick 'cause I don't want to go down that particular rabbit hole. I love that you shouted out a center that maybe a lot of people outside of the LA area aren't familiar with. This is an underappreciated center, a guy who's got no three point shot. A guy who the, the, his team doesn't necessarily run a lot of plays for a guy who's not within ear shot of the All-Star game. But a guy who used said over the last few games for the Los Angeles Clippers is dominating. And he is. How is Ev Vita Zubo thriving right now? And really, he's been there for a while, but it's nice to see that you are noticing out in the East Coast, how's he thriving in a game that now demands a three point shot and you're also No. He's got none. Steve: The first thing I wanna just mention to you is I do get games from out west so I can watch games out west. It, it works like we're not you're not living in a different world, so we're That. Jose: That's fair. Steve: when talk about Zubo, an old [00:06:00] time center. Jose: Yeah. Steve: in the bo in the box and looks to and he's all around the boards. He's a good player. happened, what I look at with the Clippers is you got Kawhi, he's a part-time player. Harden still got something left. Powell's been hurt. Rid of Paul George. You had to find somebody that's gonna fill this void and this guy has, and it's what it's done is made the clippers not a champion, but viable. Jose: Right. Steve: out they're gonna be a rough team to play because he really has dominated and has become their second best player after Harden over the last couple weeks. So all of a sudden you thought that the Clippers were really in trouble and who knows playing and they still probably will be a player, but, really in trouble, maybe not even making the real playoffs. Now you see it with him. They've got a shot and they can upset somebody in a playoffs. Don't forget. After the first seed after Denver, not Denver, Oklahoma City brain problem. [00:07:00] But Oklahoma City, after Oklahoma City, everything is wide open. If Jose: Yeah. Steve: beat Denver in a playoff, I wouldn't be surprised. So anything can happen and all they have to do is get in and not be the eighth seed, because the eighth seed would play Oklahoma. But the Jose: Right. Steve: zoo bots makes them viable. Jose: Yeah, no, undeniably over the last what'd you say? Eight games? 21 and 12. I'm rounding those rebounds up. And yeah those are great numbers for a team that you know, and I love the way you categorize them because I think it's absolutely right. They're, they are going to be a tough out, you, whoever plays the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs or the playing is gonna know. They were in a series that, because this is a tough team, a good defensive team, they don't make a lot of mistakes. Steve: One of the best coaching staffs in the NBA Jose: yeah. Undeniable. Steve: Brian Shaw, former head coach Tyron Tyrone Li, One of the best coaches in the league. In fact, I would think it's either [00:08:00] him or Polster, who would be the Olympic coach a couple Jose: Yeah. Interesting. Lots to talk about. Spo we don't bring up Miami 'cause it's been a rough season for them, but Steve: about. Jose: not much to talk about. Sorry, Miami. All right. Let's talk about a team where there is a lot to talk about the Windiness franchise in NBA history. Matter of fact, they were recently sold for a staggering 6.1. Billion, that's a B dollars. So I gotta ask you you are in the east. Should Celtics fans be weary now or weary? We weary and let me preface this right, ownership could be absolutely nothing, right? You, you put in a new owner, nothing changes. You put in a new owner like they did in Los Angeles, the Clippers and that franchise fundamentally changed. You put an owner like they have in Dallas. Fundamentally changed trades Luca, right? So it could go bad, it could go good, or nothing could happen. What do you think is gonna happen with the Celtic? Steve: They say when W Beck was the managing partner [00:09:00] that ran the Celtics, say when they. Got the bids. Each O, each person that put the bids in or group said they will not veer. They wanna win championships. People don't understand in sports, they complain about this coach or that one, or this one. It's all about the owners. The Celtics are in an interesting spot. They're gonna be playing out with tax and salaries next year, about 500 million. That's a lot of money. Jose: Yeah. Steve: to break even will be difficult even if they win the whole thing. You need an owner to come in and say, we're gonna, we're gonna run this group back. forget, Al Horford is gonna be a free agent, and Luke Cornett is gonna be a free agent. Is refashion himself into a real, legit big man bench. Big man. Al Horford, I don't know. He's like LeBron. He goes on forever. They gotta pay him if they keep him. So that's gonna Jose: Yeah. Steve: more money they owe. Now, ownership's gotta swallow that. They say that they [00:10:00] will, but any owner coming in, if he says no, we're not doing this. And I'm gonna give you an example. Memphis, the Grizzlies, their owner, Heisley, said, I don't wanna go into the cash. I don't wanna pay tax. So they've got some talent, but are they ever gonna have enough to win it? Jar Jackson's gonna get a pay a paycheck 'cause he is gonna be all, all one of the top three, all NBA Jose: Sure. Steve: makes a bundle of money unless they decide to trade somebody like Morant. But the point being you need an owner willing to do it and willing to pay. And one other thing the Celtics have, and it could go away, they've got Brad Stevens running the show. They had Danny age. Danny Age, and Brad Stevens are two of the best doing the If you get an owner like a Matt ish thinks he knows a little more than the staff, a problem. Jose: Yeah, Steve: so it's gonna be very interesting. Is this owner going to be a fan or is he going to be an active owner? indications are no, but we won't know that until [00:11:00] we see. And this summer, Jose: sure. Steve: something with Horford and Cornett to begin with. Jose: Yeah. Steve: other thing, the obvious thing is Sam Hauser makes is gonna make 10 million next year. With the tax and all that, that turns into 80 million. Easiest one to trade, easiest one to trade. And if you have a team that lives on threes, you need somebody, another good shooter, because there's nights when not everybody's clicking and he's one more good shooter. And if you deal him, look, 10 million is not a lot, but you lost something that's gonna really help you. So would losing horford and, so we're gonna learn a lot. Jose: Interesting. Alright. Yeah, it's always tough, when you hand the keys to somebody else. We'll see how it plays out in Boston. We wanna finish with an overview of two. Surprisingly, for me, certainly one is surprising struggling Eastern Conference team, the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. That is a weird sentence. The Cavs are struggling. The [00:12:00] Knicks are struggling. You wrote this about the Knicks. They were blown out on back to back nights by San Antonio and Charlotte. Two teams. I wouldn't consider NBA powers, neither would I. Cleveland just dropped their fourth in a row. So let me ask you this. Which one of those two teams. Is more in trouble. Which one of these two teams, this wasn't just an aberration, what do you think? Steve: It's a great question. I would have to say it would be the Knicks. And the reason being, because Cleveland's in a better position. Have a home court throughout the playoffs. Jose: Yeah. Steve: I think the Knicks are in a spot where a they've got a, they've got a little bit of an issue when Mikhail Bridges goes to Tibs and talks about minutes played, and then you see a couple days later, the team just beat a bomb. And play like disinterested basketball against bad teams. You gotta wonder if that had an effect and if that's what these players are thinking. If it is true it's not a good thing for tibs. Now with Cleveland, that's an interesting thing, I thought, and I [00:13:00] still but I'm not like I did, I thought Cleveland was better than Boston. gonna say something. might be, they might have more talent, however, I don't know if they think they can, and that's more important than having Jose: Right. Steve: And this has gotta throw doubt in them that they can, they do this. And like I said, they go deep and they're good. If that doubt comes about, in trouble. They're in big trouble now. In the playoffs, they would play the eighth seed, whomever that may be, as long as it's not Orlando. 'cause Orlando seems to be their kryptonite. then if they win that series, which they should, they'd probably play the Milwaukee, Indiana GA team. I don't know if either one of them are good enough to beat Cleveland, Indiana. Both of 'em can give 'em trouble. And if they win and if Boston wins their series, they meet up. Think they can do that? I don't They do. And like I said, that's more important. To Jose: Yeah. Steve: that would be it. For the [00:14:00] Knicks, they need Jalen Brunson. If he doesn't return or returns up, they're in trouble. 'cause if you watch them, there's guys on offense doing and Nobi, who's not a great offensive player. He's trying to do a lot and there's only so much you're gonna get out of him. And so you are getting guys playing or trying to fulfill roles they're not used to. The one thing they do have is probably one of the most unstoppable offensive players in Carl Anthony Towns. He's just been unstoppable, but not a lot. After that Jose: Yeah. I gotta ask you about, I'm gonna have the buzzer go off. It's cool if we get it finished here, but we're not going to because I have a follow up. Yeah, we did. I got a follow up for you because I love how you worded it the Cleveland Cavaliers. This might be sowing some doubt, but isn't it also as, because the calves have not had a losing week yet. This is our first losing week. This is something I tried personally. They haven't had a losing week yet. If I'm at Celtics, [00:15:00] I see vulnerability. Now, you know where I didn't before, right? Not only is this impacting the calves internally, but the teams on the outside. Look we look at what they're gonna watch this tape and they're gonna they're gonna find something, aren't they? Steve: They found Mobley, you saw in a couple games was Mobley Jose: Right? Steve: out defensively and he's supposed to be an all NBA defender. So that's something they're figuring out also. And I guess Boston will try to force Mobley on or, and try to do something about that. picture a guy like Drew Holiday going against him. He's strong, physically stronger. It gets interesting. So that's one of the things that can happen. Cleveland has got is first of all, if you are in sports and you are winning, you think in a close game, you know what? And it's close down the stretch. We're gonna figure this out. Even if you're playing poorly in the other teams about playing real well, you believe that Jose: Yeah. Steve: lose a couple in a row. The first reaction when you fall behind [00:16:00] is, here we go again. Jose: Sure. Steve: a defeatist attitude and that's one of the issues that Cleveland's and the worst part, it's right now, it's not in January, it's right And this is when you wanna come together and play well. So there there's gotta be some angst for them. Jose: Yeah. Steve: that's the point. Jose: Yeah, undeniable. Worst time of the season. I guess the worst time would be during the playoffs, so maybe they're getting it out of their system now. We'll see how things play out for the calves, the Knicks it's go time man. It's go time. It's exciting, but that's it. Time's up. You heard our buzzer, you heard us just bur through it 'cause we do that sometimes. Thank you for listening. Please make sure to read Steve's entire 13 rules article. As we mentioned before, he's got other thoughts on other topics we couldn't get to here. It's 13 rules random NBA Thoughts article. We'll link that below or above or wherever you're reading or seeing this, you'll find it to get more thoughts after week 22 of the 20 24, 25 NBA season, please [00:17:00] consider subscribing, liking, joining, commenting. All of that stuff matters. It means a lot to us. Thank you so much again, and join us next week on the Shot Clock Pod at the best 50 minutes of NBA Random plots online anywhere. We'll talk next week, Steve. Steve: Take care.

The Shot Clock Pod - Week #22