Hour 3- Nick Friedell, NFL Offseason, Three Stars

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2:11Welcome back to You Better You Bet on Westwood One Sports. One of the things that I love, Chris Mackier, by the way, filling in for Nick Costos on You Better You Bet presented by Bet MGM Make It Legendary on Westwood One Sports and of course across North America on Series XM Channel 375. One of the things I love about filling in for Nick on this show, in addition, of course, obviously to the fantastic staff that make you all work behind the scenes, is the fact that you never know when Costos, despite it being his day off, will just jump into the YouTube chat randomly, which by the way, for those of you listening, you can also watch the show youtube.com slash at the Costos THE KOS TOS. You can watch You Better You Bet every day there and catch up on things you may have missed as well, youtube.com slash at the Costos.

3:13And we were having a spirited conversation in the chat earlier about this week, being the 30th anniversary of the song Return of the Mac by Mark Morrison, obviously, because I'm here filling in for Nick yet again, get it? Ha ha, Return of the Mac. It used to hate the song by the way. I've gone through waves. I've had a very roller coaster relationship with the song Return of the Mac. Obviously, with the last name Mac, I got it. You know, when the song first came out, loved it, thought it was great. I was a teenager at the time. I remember, did they have Circuit City all over the country? I think that was a national chain, wasn't it? Anyway, it was one of those big box electronic stores that you would go to where you could buy music, you could buy, you could buy a computer, you could buy giant 12-inch speakers to put in a box in your trunk so that your 1992 Toyota Tursell would rattle when you turned up

4:19outcast or ice cube. Not that I ever did something like that. Bow down when we come to your town. Bow down. Westside connection, specifically, not ice cube solo work there. Anyway, you could buy everything at Circuit City. I remember buying the Mark Morrison Return of the Mac CD single at Circuit City. Loved the song. Then it got to be overbearing and overkill. Every time somebody would have me on a show or the name would come up. You'd hear it. Bow down. The Mark Morrison Return of the Mac Bed would hit. Then eventually, I got to a point where I decided to embrace it. Anyway, we were talking about Return of the Mac by Mark Morrison and Costos just jumps into the chat on his day off and mentions, did you know Mark Morrison is British? Couldn't travel to the US to properly promote the song due to legal issues? I didn't know Mark Morrison was British.

5:22I didn't know the part about him not being able to travel to the US to promote the song. That's one of the things I love about this show. I fill in for Nick and he still jumps in the YouTube chat to update me on little bits of trivia about the great Mark Morrison and Return of the Mac. I also love that because Nick, now that the football season is over, doesn't mind taking a Friday off now and then and you know what? If you get the days, use them brother. I've heard Romy say that before. I've heard people ask Jim Rome. Why do you take so much education, Jim? And his response is because I have the vacation to take brother. They give me the days I'm taking him. Hell yeah. But since Nick likes to take Fridays, I end up here filling in for him many Fridays when I can't. And Nick Friedell, bang, rubber stamp it. You're almost every Friday and we'll have

6:27him again in about 20 minutes to talk about Jason Tatum's return for the Celtics tonight and how that throws the top of the Eastern Conference into a blender. And because it's Nick, and I got poke the bear just a little. I'll ask him again about LeBron and where he'll be next year. LeBron breaking the record last night for most field goals made in an NBA career. But there's plenty to talk about because I think we've seen some dense in the armor with the pistons over the last few weeks. Nick again joining us in about 20 minutes. Nick Friedell, that is, Nick Costos off today. I'm Chris Mac. We've set the table now. Everybody cool? You know who's talking to you? Good. If you'd like to talk to me directly 310 840 4910 310 840 4910. Even if it's just to tell me about that time, you put speakers in the back of your car and it broke the rear window. No, I never turned mine up quite that loud. Free agency hits in the NFL on Monday.

7:30I mean, officially on Wednesday, I wish they would stop doing this by the way with the legal tampering period. Just say just just have it open on Monday. Anyway, it's a little tiny detail we don't need to get ball down in. And the dominoes have started to fall already, especially at a key position as far as really any off season goes in the NFL. But I feel like particularly this off season wide receiver for a number of different reasons, right? Because you don't have a wealth of high end talent available in free agency because the draft has some nice high end talent available in the first say 20 to 25 picks at that position. But then you've also got at least a handful of teams that are scrambling, playing this game of quarterback musical chairs, wondering if

8:32they'll be the one left out. Like at 2 a.m. at the bar are the jets and two are going to look at each other, each with a set of beer goggles on and go, all right, I didn't think it would come to this, but I guess we're going home with each other. Couldn't you see that happening by the way? Like we get a good two, three weeks into free agency and the jets don't have any answers at quarter back and they go, all right, do it. No, no, we don't have to do it. No, do it, do it. Okay, make the call. Nobody's phone actually sounds like that, but that's the best phone noise I can make with my mouth. Mahalo toa. Yeah. This you? I think so. Okay, close enough. Still interested in playing quarterback? Yeah. Would you like to be in New York?

9:35Is this the giants or the jets? It's not the giants, right? No, jets? Yep. Okay, I guess. Or do the jets go in the Geno Smith direction? I guess it's just become official that he got released. It's going to be a messy week of free agency, but especially at wide receiver where the bills got out ahead of it and maybe jump the gun so to speak. I think they did give it up a second round pick for DJ Moore. And I'm going to be reminded by esteemed board op Kenneth Henderson once again, hey, they got a fifth round pick too. Okay. DJ Moore in a fifth round pick for a second round pick. Still not recouping a lot of value there. It's a second round pick for DJ Moore essentially. Too much, too much, but the bills have to because they are in that position.

10:38They're there. They have to get wide receivers. Same thing could be said in New England. Same thing could be said in Pittsburgh. There are teams that have to get wide receivers. And so they may have to overpay. It's why Alec Pierce is going to end up somewhere this year getting 30 million dollars a year. And this is the third time I've said this this morning, but I want to reiterate, this is not a knock on Alec Pierce. Great up and coming. Very good. Let me be clear. Very good up and coming. Deep target. Like if you were a compliment to DK Metcalf in Pittsburgh, and make a ton of sense, but the Pittsburgh Steelers as an example, aren't going to pay Metcalf and Alec Pierce are combined 65 million dollars. I wouldn't anyway.

11:39But Alec Pierce is going to get paid and then it's going to be Mike Evans, 32-year-old Mike Evans, which okay, 32 in a average everyday walk of life. Your life's just getting started, right? Maybe you just got married a few years ago. You're having some kids. You get that 401k statement every couple of months ago. Look, I'm saving money. I'm an adult. 32 in the NFL, you're ancient. You're prehistoric. So you got Alec Pierce, you got Mike Evans, you got the ghost of Stefan Diggs, the hollowed out husk of Tyreek Hill being held together with duct tape and paper clips. Debo Samuel comes to you, wrapped in bubble wrap. Romeo Dobbs, Wandale Robinson, the one guy, the one guy I would be okay overpaying with.

12:40And look, most of these guys probably will get a little overpaid because the cap keeps jumping exponentially. And like I said, teams who consider themselves contenders like Buffalo and New England may be Pittsburgh. They need wide receivers, the chargers apparently in on the AJ Brown sweepstakes. They're going to overpay. One of the guys I would definitely be willing to overpay in this free agency cycle is Rashid Shaheed, not just because he was a Super Bowl winner this year, but because I think you saw, he is a classic example of a player, I think, who plays even better when he's surrounded by greater talent. And I'm not breaking any news there. That's not some sort of trend I just unearthed that you've never thought of. Oh, you put a guy on a better TV plays better. But Shaheed, I think, is a classic example. You get your return man.

13:47You get a quality number two target, but the problem is going to be where some of these teams are adding these wide receivers as number ones instead of number two. And that's the trap that Buffalo, I think, is falling into with DJ Moore. The Steelers go out and get someone. Okay, they're adding to them to the mix alongside DK Metcalf. You're not asking them to be a number one. You're just asking them to be better than Calvin Austin, the third was last year. Or Marcus Valdice, scantling what was Adam Thielen was. It's an obvious upgrade. But when you're talking about adding DJ Moore is a number one or Mike Evans at this age as your number one. Okay, now Rashid Shaheed even as a number one. Now we're sliding down a slippery slope that doesn't really add up. It's why New England is backed into this corner.

14:47And we talked to Russ Tucker earlier. I'll let you hear the clip again before we wrap up the show. But you know, Russ Tucker made the point that all this smoke around AJ Brown to New England, you have to believe something is in the works. Obviously, the pre-existing relationship between Vrable and AJ Brown from their time in Tennessee together. But also, the Patriots are desperate for a number one wide receiver. Someone they can lean on. I love booty. Clip that, save that for a drop later. I love Casey on booty, but he's not a wide receiver one. They need that number one guy. AJ Brown is that guy. And you've got to decide how much are you willing to overpay to get that guy? AJ Brown, a true number one, as opposed to how much you're willing to overpay cash-wise, not draft resources

15:52wise, but cash-wise in free agency for a guy that you know is not a number one. It appears, a Shaheed, a Jennings. I don't see, by all means, 310-840-4910-310-840-4910 or jump in the YouTube chat. By all means, tell me if you see any of the guys in this free agent class immediately vaulting themselves into wide receiver one territory. I don't. All twos at best. And in some cases, very good twos. But twos, the only one that's truly out there and maybe available is AJ Brown. So if you're looking for that, and the Patriots are the most clear-cut example left of someone clearly looking for a number one wide receiver, we're probably overpaying

16:58in draft compensation, but we're willing to do it. The overpayment just got that much bigger, though, with yesterday's trade between Chicago and Buffalo. If DJ Moore is getting you a second round pick, then AJ Brown's getting you at least a first. And then what? On top of it. Do you want to jump the line and do that this weekend before free agency hits on Monday? If you're the Patriots, it has to happen this weekend. If you're ever going to do it, this weekend is the time. Can he explain yourself now? Jump on if you don't mind for a second. You just you just threw in the chat, the group chat, not trading a first for a book reader. Do we really believe that if AJ Brown gets a new lease on life somewhere else, he doesn't still have that true wide receiver one capability?

17:59You know, I'm I'm a known Eagles hitter. So I'm just, you know, I'm making fun of our guy I didn't hear a little bit, but I'm not the biggest fan of AJ Brown either. I think he's great. I just don't like the kind of vibes he brings to the team. I think there's a clear reason why the Eagles want to get rid of him. I think if he does go somewhere, it's probably back with my variable in the New England Patriots. I think that's the best fit. I think back with variable with with a lot of continuity there. They know each other very well. I think that those two guys will that'll work. I think it goes anywhere else though. I'm just not sure how it's going to work out. And I don't think yes, I agree with you that what Chicago did trading trading DJ Moore for a second round pick tells the league that, you know, AJ Brown is better than DJ Moore. So probably he's worth the first round pick, but at the same time, I don't think anyone's willing to stomach that. So I think we're going to be in a standstill here potentially, unless the Eagles are willing to budge. I just see how he roseman sitting back and waiting to play this like the evil Machiavellian genius that he is. And that's fine. You don't want to give me a first round pick now. That's

19:00cool. Have fun and free agency. Go get your Alec pierces of the world. And everybody's come back, going to come back around after that, that aisle at the grocery store gets cleared out and call up how he'd say, yeah, well, you still interested. The guy's going to get a first round pick for AJ Brown. And I agree with you, I said it the day after the Eagles were eliminated, they have to move on from AJ Brown. Like you said, it's, it's gotten toxic there between AJ Brown and Nick Sireonny and the coaching staff. And no amount of firing Kevin Petulo and bringing in a different OC is going to save that. I don't think. Like you said, when the dude's hanging out reading a book on the sideline, that infiltrates its way through the room. And even onto the field where Jalen Hertz can go one of two ways. He's either ignoring, I'm making air quotes with my fingers, ignoring AJ Brown or he's overfeeding AJ Brown in an attempt to sav and soothe his ego. And it hamstrings

20:05an offense that should be based around Sequan Barkley first and foremost. So it makes sense to move on from AJ Brown. But it's amazing to me that we're in a position now where the Eagles know they almost have to move on from AJ Brown. But given the fact that there is one, at least one team out there that we know is very, very interested. And now we've seen more come off the board for a second round pick. It locks it in that like if you're the Patriots, you don't have a choice. You've got to trade a first round pick for AJ Brown. Yeah, no, I probably agree with that for sure. That's like the move that they have to make, right? Because they need receivers so badly. I mean, at this point, like Buffalo's got to be out of it. I don't know if there's any other teams for AJ Brown besides New England that make like a whole bunch of sense. Like even the chargers, they've got enough guys there. Lad Makaki, Quentin Johnston, you know, they have cats in the young tight end there as well. Like I think that New England is just the perfect fit because he is a number one in the league.

21:06And I think with what I said with variable, that I'm already knowing each other and you got a good young quarterback and Drake, me, it just makes way too much sense. And Ross Tucker kind of didn't break the news, but he told us what he knows and we know he knows a lot. So. Yeah, Ross is plugged in out in Philly. He's out on it not far from Philly in the eastern side of the state and does some work during the preseason for the Eagles. So that smoke is definitely there. Again, we'll let you hear that before you wrap up the show here on you. Better you back. Chris Mack, Infinite Costos today. Again, you want to be a part of the conversation. The YouTube chat is there and available where you can watch the show youtube.com slash at the costos youtube.com slash at the costos. And is it what's the phrase fate a complete? I think is that Latin or French? I don't know. I'm bad at languages that aren't English enough. Just the tiniest bit of Spanish. They'll serve as a small sport before it's about as far as I get. But is it fate a complete that AJ Brown has done? He is done in Philly and the only place to go is New England. Feels like that

22:16to me and I think most of the NFL how long can how he roseman string that out and get maybe more than that first round pick. Even though there may only be one team that's seriously in the market only takes one team to make a market. Speaking of what's going on up in Boston, they get Jason Tatum back tonight. The Celtics, the return of Jason Tatum. Does this throw the entire top of the Eastern Conference in the NBA into a blender? Or does it solidly make the Celtics the team to beat in the East now that Tatum is back? Odyssey NBA insider Nick Friedel joins us next to talk about it here on You Better You Bet on Westwood One Sports. Three H and C includes future Hollis Famers, NFL All-Pros and Super Bowl MVPs. Big names are on the move. Where will they be headed? Westwood One Sports. Is life insurance on your list of New Year's resolutions?

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26:29my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Call 888-828-Pert, that's 888-828-HURT, and let us fight back for you. Have you or a family member been diagnosed with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer that can be removed by surgery? Consider talking to an oncologist about your treatment options Why? Because knowing your options before you have surgery can help your care team develop a treatment plan that's right for you. Learn about a potential treatment plan before and after surgery at askbeforesurgery.com that's askbeforesurgery.com and talk to an oncologist before your surgery. Hey y'all, it's Kelly Clarkson with WayFair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't fit? Uh, little to the left. Don't wait! Yep, should have gone with WayFair. Or what if it doesn't hold up? That sofa was four days old. Should have ordered from WayFair. Or what if it's that material that makes that noise? It was a sofa, I swear. With WayFair, there's no what it. Just style you love,

27:34quality you can trust, and furniture that actually fits your life. Visit WayFair.com or download the WayFair app. This is You Better You Bet presented by Bet MGM on Westwood One Sports. Jason Tayden back on the floor tonight in Boston for the Celtics. How does that affect the top of the Eastern Conference? Does it make the Celtics the instant team to be in the East? Does it just throw everything into a blender with those top four teams in the East? We'll get into it in just a moment here on You Better You Bet with Nick Ferdell, Odyssey NBA Insider, Chris Mack,

28:38in for Nick Costos today. And you can take advantage of our friends at Bet MGM. Bet MGM player is going to receive an any sport odds boost token right now and you log into your Bet MGM app to use it. Add a wager made up that's from any sport to your Bet Slip activate token. If you win your wager that was made with that, no sweat token. You get extra winnings in unrestricted bonus dollars. Make it legendary. Download the Bet MGM app today and please gamble responsibly. Don't know how much of Tatum will see on the floor tonight for Boston. If they'll throw them into the deep end or ease them back into the lineup, they'll be facing the Mavericks 15 and a half point favorites at home against Dallas. We'll see if we get the second half of a back-to-back for Cooper Flag, Fresh Off and Injury, something he hasn't done since December, but kind of a homecoming, a kid who grew up in Maine going back to New England. We can talk about that and everything Celtics-wise with Nick in just a moment, but Nick, Fresh Off, a wild one in Houston last night

29:40between the Rockets and the Warriors and Scrappy Little Golden State. Nick, who thought we'd ever talk about the Warriors that way, but Scrappy Little Golden State goes to OT with the Rockets and steals one on the road in Houston. Before I get into questions about the Rockets and the rest of the Western Conference and everything about Tatum and the East, let's start with Golden State. How much noise can they make? Like I said, we've never referred to the Golden State Warriors as those Scrappy Little Warriors, but here they are. With that underachiever drave on, that no one really expects anything from. It just got to find this way into some really good games off and on. Now, Chris, this team last night had like a G-League squad off the bench. They have three two-way guys getting a jit minutes. I don't know if they can maintain this, but it all depends the Warriors

30:41this year right now on where the stuff comes back. And it always does with this team, but there's still some uncertainty on actually if that's going to happen this year. The best case scenario for this group is that he's back in a few weeks. He gets a few games going into the play-in. He carries them through the play-in and they get to a first round series. That is absolutely the highest ceiling that they can have in the moment, but he's trying to come back. There's still hope that Porzinga's gets back in the next few weeks. Nobody's sure exactly what's going on with his illness, but if they are healthy, you can see at least hope that no team wants to see them in the play-in. And certainly whether it was OKC, Denver, San Antonio, whomever it may be in a first round series, there's nobody that wants to see the scrappy little underdog Warriors with Steph Curry. Yeah, and even if they climb their way up out of the play-in, I think they're five games out now

31:43with about 20 to play or so. Even if they climb their way up out of the play-in, if you're a third Minnesota or the Rockets who will get to in a second, last thing you want to have to do is deal with a fresh Steph Curry in the first round. Especially because they're sitting there listening to everybody saying, oh, they're done. You lose, Jimmy Butler. The Porzinga's deal has been a mess for them so far. Kaminga has played well and he's been out there for Atlanta. We don't know what going on with Steph's knee. Drainmon has had a really rough season aside from a couple performances like last night, but they still have some pretty good talented guys. Al Horford has found his way after a rough few months in an injury. DeAnthony Melton is playing for a new deal somewhere, whether he stays with the Warriors or somewhere else. They've got a lot of guys who can play. They just don't have a lot of guys who can play together at the same time because of injury. So,

32:43they could give somebody a real scare and that's all they're hoping to do leading into the last couple months of the season here. It's probably not fair to talk about some of those other teams in the West is the mushy middle because they're 12, 14, 15 games over 500, but the rockets are there. They're there in that say two to five range and they're winning games. They're supposed to win over the last few weeks, but I don't know. Are they doing anything in Houston and now Azar Thompson, we don't know what's up with him in Detroit, obviously, but you know, Houston to me strikes me as a team that I don't know. Are they going to make it through more than the first couple of rounds of the Western Conference side of things? Can they, when they're stacked up against the better teams in the West, can they make some noise? No. As I walked out of there last night, Chris, I sat there and I went, this team, they're just not good enough. They have no business losing to

33:50an injury riddled warrior squad like that. I know the warriors have this like mental edge over Houston after all these years. They've had all these big wins, but when you are as loaded and have as much talent as the rockets do, I mean, you made Udoca was filming last night. I made during the game during the end of it. I saw the first few minutes of his press conference. He knows this team just does not have the edge. It's going to need to get past the thunder or the nuggets. They could win a series for sure, and I still absolutely believe that Kevin Durant can carry them through at least a couple games in the postseason. But if you're talking about a team that has a legit chance to get out of the West, you are not talking about the Houston rockets. Yeah, and I mentioned Arthasar Thompson. I got ahead of myself, but the Spurs continue to win. When we talk about winning games that you should win, okay, that's great. That's all well and good, but winning games against quality opponents. The Spurs did it to Detroit again. Thompson leaves with

34:54an ankle injury, but I think we could save the pistons talk for the Eastern Conference side of things. With the Spurs, this is about when we complained a couple weeks ago, we're not ahead of schedule. They really don't look like they're ahead of schedule. They look like they are clicking and they are ready to go right now. The most powerful thing to me that a young team can have, especially Chris's belief. And when B gives that team belief every time he goes out there, he doesn't play afraid on the floor. He doesn't speak with any kind of doubt after it's over. I think that kind of stuff permeates in a locker room. I'm still very cautious in believing that the Spurs who really haven't been through it together in the postseason can get all the way through. I think the last time we saw that was the team I grew up here before, the magic with Shack and Penny. I mean, they went through one playoff series and came back the next year after getting swept by the Pacers and rolled to the finals. Is it possible with Wendy? Yeah,

35:57and I think he's that talented that he could make it happen. I just still believe that the thunder are a little bit better and the nuggets are a little bit better with Yokech right now. But to the point about the Spurs, their time is coming. They're getting the reps in these bigger games that they're going to need and the more they keep knocking off teams that matter, the more they're going to walk in the postseason saying bring it on. We believe we can beat anybody. And to pivot now to the Eastern Conference, the pistons feel like a team, not just the two losses to the Spurs, but just some dents in the armor showing up over the last few weeks post all-star break. The Assar Thompson injury that I mentioned, is that a team in the east that should be most fearful of the Jason Tatum return in Boston? Absolutely, because that team, when you have not been through it in a lot of ways, it ties in what we're talking about with the Spurs. The pistons got in there last year. They had a hard fought series against the mix, but

36:58you weren't walking away going, all right, this team can make the jump from where they're at right now all the way through the east. They play with an edge and they play defense and those are things that you're definitely going to need in the postseason. But if you start getting these injuries that are going to pile up for every team, but especially where Detroit is right now, you're going to need somebody to help take the pressure off Kate Cunningham. And I've seen it through the years, especially in the postseason, when you're only reliant on one guy mainly offensively, especially late in games, and you don't have that other piece or two that you're going to need, that's where it starts to build up where you go, all right, maybe they just don't have enough. I think their defense gives them certainly a chance and with where the odds are at right now, I'd take a little small flyer on Detroit being able to get through these because I absolutely still don't believe in Cleveland, but with the emotional lift that Tatum's going to

38:03give Boston and with the way they've played all season without him. When you drop him into this, if you can catch that rhythm pretty quickly, then things can turn in and instant. Nick Ferdell, Odyssey NBA Insider with us here on You Better You Bet, Chris Mack, Infinite Costos. Today, check out all of Odyssey's newest sports podcasts on Spotify or Apple podcasts as well. How much do we get Tatum tonight? And for the next couple of weeks, as he works his way back into this thing, you think? I would guess somewhere around 15, 20 minutes, just get his feet wet, get him feeling good again. But Chris, I think the fact that we're having this conversation in the beginning of March is huge because nobody was sure exactly when he would come back. Nobody was sure if he was going to come back later. Now it feels like he's back and they're going to find a way to build him up because the last thing you want to do is say, all right, Jason, you're back. Go get him. I mean, not that they were going to run him out

39:04there for 35 minutes or anything, but they knew that they had to build him up to get him ready for those big games at the end of April and into May and maybe beyond. So it's a credit to him and the rehab and work he put in to get to this point. But I think it is massive for Boston. If you were believing that they could actually make a run, this is a perfect place to drop him into the schedule. There's not too much pressure and a lot of these games because so many teams around the league are thinking you get him back now. You give him that runway to feel better about where he's coming from. He plays for two months and then maybe he remembers, hey, I'm still one of the best dudes there is playing this game. I'm feeling a lot better about where my body's at. And again, that emotional boost bringing a guy back like this in this moment, I think is huge for the Celtics.

40:05It's going to sound counterintuitive at first because to your point, all the things you just said about Jason Tatum are true. But also, you made a good point. What this team has done without him in the lineup is, again, I made the joke about the scrappy young warriors a couple minutes ago, but the Celtics have really scrapped and fought and clawed their way to where they are in the second spot in the Eastern Conference. Jalen Brown has played MVP level ball at times, sure. But, you know, you've got guys like Peyton should stepping up and providing legitimate minutes and in a quality way. Is there any worry at all in Boston about, again, it sounds counterintuitive. You're adding Jason Tatum to the lineup, but upsetting the apple cart just a little bit in the chemistry that they built over the first 60 games. I think there's certainly a little concern as there should be the Chris if the choice is keep the team the way it is and the way they're playing or add Jason Tatum. You know what the answer is going to be and I don't blame the Celtics at all for

41:07doing it this way because they know what he represents and they know how good he can make them if he is feeling right. But to your point, when you watch the Celtics, they are very well coached and they are a very well oiled machine, especially offensively. They know exactly where to be and you've given guys like Peyton Pritchard, he's a perfect example. These extra minutes where you go, hey, go do your thing and he has even more confidence now. So I know that there is at least always some trepidation within a fan base where you go, I can we maintain the continuity that we built throughout the season. But you're getting one of the best players in basketball back and you're getting a guy who knows how to fit in with this team specifically because he played with so many of these guys. So there will absolutely be a transition period. But again, I think the fact that there's still six weeks or so left in the regular season is very big in how all of this plays out

42:09down the line. Nick Ferdell, Odyssey NBA insider this year on you better, you bet, Chris Mac, in for Nick Costos today. Check out all of Odyssey's newest sports podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Is there a chance? I mean, they're the hottest team in the East right now. Is there a Chancellor Horn? It's could do something out of the play in. I mean, at least put a scare into somebody in the first round, right? It is probably the single biggest question that I'm getting from my friends around the league as I travel through all these different cities, Chris, because nobody in the world expected the Hornets to do what they're doing. But the way they've stacked these wins and the level of confidence with which all these young guys are playing with, it's making everybody sit there and go, can it can it happen this year? Can they click to a point where not only they get in the playoffs, but give somebody a push? I'm very hesitant because

43:10I think there's too many young pieces to believe that can happen right away. But if you were buying stock in any of these young teams that we're talking about, I would buy a hell of a lot of stock in Charlotte because it seems like they've drafted the right players and they're developing now. And that's what gets lost sometimes in the NBA. You can draft guys, but if you don't have the developmental parts in place in your organization, there's only so far you can go. These guys keep getting better. I mean, Carnegie Nippel from the beginning of the year to now has gotten a lot better. And when you start piecing them together with Miller and Lamello and they find a way that they know that nobody's going to stop them. I mean, that is tough for any young team. I just don't know if it's going to happen this year. I absolutely believe that they're going to get it together in short order there the next couple of years in Charlotte. All right, it's mandated. We have

44:12you on. We have to ask a LeBron question. Past Korean last night for most field goals made in NBA history, but didn't finish the game in their loss to the nuggets on the road at Denver. Just as anything changed in the dynamic there to where we should expect anything different than LeBron leaving LA this summer. It sure feels that way. And I came into the year Chris thinking this was the final year for LeBron, but as time has played out, nobody with an ego that big who has shown that for years and years and years is just going to walk away. I mean, LeBron has always struck me as a guy that was going to say before a season, hey, I think that's it. And then go get his rocking chair in every single NBA stop. And there is. So on top of all of that behind the scenes, when you start seeing the friction going on with Reddit and Luca and some of the stuff that's happened at various times in LA, it absolutely feels like

45:16not just to me, but the league that LeBron will probably play at least one more year and it will probably be somewhere else. So I don't think anything that happens in the next few weeks and whatever the hell they do in the playoffs is going to change the fact that at least as we sit here right now, the odds on LeBron being a Laker again next year seem much smaller than they would have been to start the season. Nick, I love catching up with you. It's one of my favorite parts of filling in for Nick on a Friday is talking to you. Odyssey NBA insider Nick Ferdell, appreciate your time this morning, man. Always good to be with you, buddy. See you. Absolutely. Odyssey NBA insider Nick Ferdell, check out all of Odyssey's newest sports podcasts on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Gonna be interesting to see the way the Celtics fold in Jason Tatum over the next couple of weeks, but a good point by Nick. They got plenty of time to ramp them up and get them ready for the playoffs and get moving in an eastern conference. It feels a little

46:16bit more shaky at the top, especially than it did just a few weeks ago going into the all-star break. Come on up. We've laughed. We've cried. We've talked a whole lot more about DJ more than I thought we ever would on a Friday in early March. We wrap it all up with the best moments of the show. Our three stars of the day next here on You Better You Bet on Westwood One Sports. No rivalry hits harder than UNC in Duke. The top rank Blue Devils want payback. The number 17 Tar Heels want the sweep. UNC Duke. Tomorrow, 6th or Eastern. On Westwood One Sports and the Westwood One Sports app. The following is sponsored by BitMyListing. Selling your home with ready, REDY real estate agents will pay you upfront for your listing. Just for a chance to sell your home. Why would they pay to be your agent? Well, your listing is really valuable. So, if an agent is smart, they'll go on ready and offer you cash up front

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52:51This is you better you bet presented by betmgm on westwood one sports. Chris Macinfranit costos today here on you better you bet presented by betmgm make it legendary on westwood one sports inside your westwood one sports app of course and live across north America on serious xm channel 375. Thanks to Ross Tucker. Thanks to Mike DeCorsi. Thanks to Nick Friedell. All for being a part of the show today. We'll hear from each of them again before we wrap up the show inside our three stars the day real quick. I wanted to get to this. I love Dallas and the points tonight in Boston against the Celtics. I know that sounds counterintuitive. A big fat word that I've used like four times today. But you got Cooper flag maybe hopefully playing on the second half of back to back. Last time he did that he dropped 30 on Denver. Sort of a homecoming for him back to New England where he grew up. Jason Tatum maybe not getting more than 15

53:5420 minutes in his first game back from the Achilles. I'll take the points and I'll take Dallas over Boston and pay to see the Celtics put it on the maps. If they do okay then I'm wrong but I would be surprised to see Dallas especially with flag if he's in the lineup. Keep it close. All right best moments of the show time for our three stars of the day. Three. I don't think they're on the bubble now although I would advise strongly to finish the regular season undefeated. Mike DeCorte of the sporting news he handles the brackets for Fox Sports as well about an hour ago. Yeah Miami of Ohio they're a bubble team but they can't screw things up. They're 30 and oh to start the season. They're in in my opinion. What are we talking about? They're 30 and oh they're in. Number two star. Two. You weren't walking away

54:54going all right. This team can make the jump from where they're at right now all the way through the east. Nick Friedell talking about the pistons. That's the team that I think and Nick agreed has to be the most concerned about Jason Tatum coming back because it coincides with them sort of slipping a little bit over the last few weeks. I felt really good about the pistons until we got out of the all star break and now I got some question marks and I wonder if Boston isn't the team to beat in the east even with Tatum having to ramp back up. Our number one star of the day. One awful lot of smoke around AJ Brown going to the New England Patriots. Enough that it makes me think it's absolutely distinct possibility and something that could happen over the next 72 hours. Yeah if it's going to happen especially if it's the Patriots it's going to happen this weekend

55:54before free agency opens on Monday. I'm right there with Ross Tucker who joined us earlier from the Ross Tucker football podcast. I appreciated him doing so and look there's a guy that knows a lot about the Philly Eagles. It's Ross. So if it's going to happen with AJ Brown getting moved especially to New England. I think it happens this weekend. If I were Halley I'd hold out, wait to see what people pick up off the scrap heap and free agency but that would be my move. We'll see if it happens that way. Thanks to everybody behind the scenes for making it work as always. Kenny, Mike, Dan appreciate all your help. Thanks to each and every one of you for joining us here today on You Better You Bet. Nick will be back on Monday. Black and Abdullah up next right here on Westwood One Sports. This is Westwood One Sports. This is the story of the one. As a procurement manager for a hospital system,

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