Talking All Things NBA & Bam Adebayo with Nick Friedell

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2:00Hello! Welcome on back to Bed MGM tonight. Here on Westwood One Sports, he's Brad Evans. I'm Pat Boyle and we are brought to you by Bed MGM. Make it legendary. Download the app today. Please gamble responsibly. Hour number two. You can watch the show live on YouTube. Just search Bed MGM tonight and hit that subscribe button. You can watch the show live on Twitter at Bed MGM tonight. And you can listen to the program on the Westwood One Sports app. The Odyssey app. Series 6M channel 375. And hundreds of local affiliates throughout North America. This segment is sponsored by Progressive Insurance. Save on commercial auto insurance from Progressive. Get a fast quote at ProgressiveCommercial.com. Let's talk to our guy Nick Friedell, a lot of sports NBA insider here to kick off hour number two on what was heck of a night last night in the world of sports because of Max Crosby, because of team USA losing to Italy, but also because of the night that bam at a bio hat.

3:00And Nick, I'm going to ask you about that in just a second brother. But how you doing, man? It's great as always to have you with us. It's always good to be with you guys too. I can't wait to sit down in these next couple days and watch all the college basketball action that is flooding our ways. It's my favorite time of the year. But there's plenty going on in the NBA as well. And I know there are a lot of layers we got to get into here. Oh, yeah, without a doubt. So last night Miami, I'll just say it right off the rip here, was an abomination in my opinion. Bam at a bio scores 83 points on 36 of 43 from the free throw line, both an NBA record and his 83 points, second most ever in an NBA game, passes Kobe Bryant only behind Wilk Chamberlain's 100. The most unethical part about it for me was Miami intentionally fouling up by 25 points in the final minutes of this game so that they would get the ball back with time for bam to score some more points. Some folks think we should be focusing on the merits of a player scoring 83 points in a game and ignoring the context.

4:01But I simply cannot, Nick, what are your thoughts on a bio scoring 83 last night and surpassing Kobe Bryant's 81? Should we be celebrating it or do you think it was a joke? Pat, I say that no matter what side of the fence you're on and I lean more towards, yeah, I wish it had come a little smoother in the flow of the game instead of the intentional fouls at the end were pretty rough. I'm sitting in there with a bunch of media members watching the end of the game with Chase Center and San Francisco before that Warriors game and they were pointing at people like, are you kidding me? Are you serious? We were texting me all day long like, is this for real? What I would say to anybody who says, ah, you know, it wasn't an ethical 83 and he could have done things a little bit better to really push the righteousness of achieving it on its own. Nobody's going to care five years from now

5:03because in five years from now it's going to be Bam out of bile had 83 and you can feel a certain way about it now and maybe you'll hold on to those feelings years later. My point to all my friends at least today who, and Pat, there are plenty of people around the league to feel the same way that you do, is in the end the only thing anybody's going to remember is that he had 83. Just like the only thing people remember about Kobe's night, that magical night back in LA all those years ago was that he had 81. He was taking a ton of free throws in the end. It was a different kind of game back then and I think that's what people are holding on to a little bit more but I understand the frustration. I would only say it's not worth it to me to hold on to it long because the number is the number and that's what people will reflect on years and years from now. Nick, let's go to an old stop, it grabs the mind.

6:03Also the land of fine dispensaries, Denver, Colorado, as we got rockets and nuggets climbing nine inside ball arena. With Denver, a land seven and a half points. They are favorite of this game right now at Ben MGM. The nugs have dropped six of their last ten games. Meanwhile, the rockets just reverse the course there have won six of their last ten games. How important is this one to inspire renewed confidence for Nikola Yokich and company? Break down this match up and who do you like? I will always take Yokich at home, especially once they've had a little stumbling block. Brad, as you mentioned, this team is still too good in my opinion to fall that flat going into the postseason. I think it would be a nice momentum shift or form to get this one. Houston, I know they've had a little bit of success recently. I am not sold on them as a team that can legitimately push

7:06in the Western conference playoffs. Kevin Durant is still an unbelievable player. But at this stage, he's going to need some help in those bigger games. Shengoon, really nice. But who else are you giving the ball to? And getting points from every single time down the floor. I think there are still too many holes on this roster. They invite me in out, of course, is a major factor there. But tonight, I would take Denver. I think they do. I always like Yokich in these spots, but even more. I think Denver is still far scarier in the games that matter the most. And it's why I would lean towards the nuggets in any kind of match up against Houston. Yeah, good call. I mean, they have the greatest player in the world and arguably, at least in my opinion, they're in the Joker. Now, Nick, earlier this week, I went on record right here on Ben MGM tonight saying, no matter, no matter who represents the West in the NBA finals,

8:07that team will hoist the Larry O'Brien. Is that a smart or stupid assertion on my part, whether Detroit, New York, Boston with Jason Tata back and firing all soldiers already? Do any of those teams out east smash a pie in this highly punchable face? They do not. I'm actually with you. So if we're both throwing, there could be two pies in one of my size eight head as well. So when you're looking at the way that the finals could go, the only way to me, guys, that the thunder, or maybe the spurs, I still would take a flyer on the nuggets because of Yoke. It's time back to what we're just saying. Just think they're a little bit better than everybody else. But the thunder are deep as hell. They play defense. They have the MVP of the league who has no fear and no shame in getting to the line

9:08and creating when they need an extra bucket. So there's very little doubt in my mind, whoever comes out of the west, assuming that they can stay healthy, can finish it off. The only team that would give me pause, and we've been talking about it the last few weeks here, but when I watch them even in the last few days, is the Celtics. Because they have momentum. They have the emotional lift that Tatum provides, being back out on the floor. And Jaylen Brown, I know he's got some detractors around the league, but he stepped it up when he needed to without Batman out there. I mean, he became that number one option a lot of times. They're well coached. They know what to do. Having said all that, please still give me the thunder, and I'll take my chances. I agree. I agree on the thunder. I'm a diehard Knicks fan. Knicks, as you know, by now. So I'll be rooting for my Knicks, but I just don't see anybody beating the thunder. You know, they're still the number one team in the NBA.

10:10They got the best record. All the advanced analytics basically have them as the number one team. And yet they have played 75% of this season without J.D. Up. They're second best player. Hart and Stein and Holmgren have missed some time as well. And SGA missed, what, 10 games at the ab injury. So yeah, I agree with you. We're talking with Nick Friedell, our Odyssey sports NBA insider here on Bed MGM tonight. Westwood won sports. He's Brad Evans on Pap Oil. And insider calls. I'll brought to you by Hyundai and by the all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Learn how it makes every day epic at HyundaiUSA.com. Nick, I think the MVP conversation ended on Monday night when SGA went nuclear and nearly had a 35 point triple double, including the game winning three against the nuggets. Jalen Brown had a chance to boost his stock last night and then got ejected and was I right with the officials for a no-call in Boston's loss to the Spurs. Your thoughts on that ejection last night, by the way? And then do you think SGA has a second straight MVP wrapped up assuming he reaches that 65 game threshold?

11:10Let's start with Jalen Brown because when you saw the ejection, you're like, man, you are not used to seeing him get that pissed off. So when you saw him going back at Tyler Ford, Pat, that's when I was like, somebody need to step in because he got the first one and you go, oh, you know, hang on. I thought the ejection when nobody did step in was warranted. You can't go after an official like that. That doesn't matter how badly they screw up the call. So to see the outward emotion appear that much and be that upset, that's not something we're used to seeing. Everybody has their moments. Everybody's human, but I did have a problem with them getting tossed. As far as the other part, I mean, when you're, now I'm blanking, remind me one more time what what the second part was. I think I think SGA wrapped up the MVP on midnight and I tied Jalen Brown into it because he's probably got the other best chances along with Kate Cunningham,

12:13maybe Wembee, but I think SGA wrapped it up on Monday night. That the second that shot went down was the second that if you had the odds before it did, you went, ah, thank you because I'm right there with you. It was a wrap. If he can stay out there and hit the the game's mark and keep rolling, nobody's going to touch him. That was it. Everybody needs their moment in these MVP awards races. Everybody has to have that time where you go, I remember when he did whatever, filling the blank. In a lot of ways, guys, your mind's been a Heisman conversation, because we're always looking, especially at the end of the year, for somebody to have that moment or that play where you go, up, that was it. For SGA, for the second one, that was it. He did exactly what he needed to do. He delivered them the game late, and that's what MVP's do. And I'm with you completely. I mean, there's always so much talk.

13:14My buddy, Timmy Bondtemp, runs that straw poll that gets a lot of, interest, especially in the betting markets. SGA, hitting that shot, put the poll to rest. It's over so long as he's out there. Yeah, no doubt. Just so long as he's out there, that is a key phrase. Nick, you're going to be in Viva Las Vegas soaking up the madness, like millions of other people in the United States here in short, order on me being one of them. Calories are not going to be burned next week as an annual. We're counted in or current. Yeah, there's or counted exactly. We're going to be inviting. We're going to be consuming. We're going to have some fun to say the least. So you're going to be watching all those NCAA tournament games. And with that getting underway next week, give us a couple of NBA prospects. You feel have the most to prove in order to raise their draft stock and this year's big dance. I think the easy answer is Peterson from Kansas,

14:18not that the draft stock necessarily needs to be raised. What he's got to prove, guys, is he wants to be out there and produce at the highest level in the biggest games. So when you watch him, you're kind of like, does he really want it? And I think there's some question in the league. Okay, we know the talent is there. But can he show us that when his team's going to need him the most, that not only he can be on the floor, but he can produce and take over. So that's one of the guys I'm watching the most. I tell you, and it's not necessarily a deep cut, but as I've talked to people around the league even in the last week, there is a lot of push behind Boozler in being the guy who maybe can move up a rung or two on a draft board with a strong performance in the dance. Because Duke, they're always going to be towards the top,

15:19but they haven't been able to get over that hump at least recently and win another title. If he can deliver that for them and he can show, all right, I'm the most consistent prospect there is. I'm the guy that you want to build around in the league because every night that I go out there, I'm going to get you a 2010. If he does that over these next few weeks going into the ACC tournament and into the big dance, I think there's a chance that at least the conversation starts to take place. Hey, we know what DeBonza can do. We know what Peterson can do. If Boozler can be the guy late and they can dump it down to him and he can dominate, at least it makes it a little more fascinating having it into the draft. Yeah, good call. Good answer. Yeah, we're talking with Nick Friedel here on Odyssey Sports MBA Insider for another couple of minutes or so here on Ben MGM tonight, Westwood One Sports. Nick, finally, the 76ers, they're in hot water.

16:21Paul George is suspended for another two weeks for PEDs. Joelle Mbid has missed 11 of the last 13 games of the Nobel League injury and maybe comes back next week. And now Tyrese Maxie is out at least three weeks with a tendon injury in his pinky. Philly is eighth in the East. They're only a game and a half out of the top six in the standings. I don't give them a shot to avoid the play in tournament and honestly, I don't know if they even get out of the play in. It seems like another lost season in the city of brotherly love. What's the best case scenario for the rest of the season for the sixers? That somehow they can make it out of the play in and push somebody in the first round. This is a team pat that just does not have enough. It's been the case for several years. I go back to that moment in time and we've had a lot of conversations about hardened in the last few weeks. Harden appears and you think, okay, well, you haven't been still on the floor playing well. You have hardened. Now's the time. And it didn't happen. And the second it didn't happen, at least for me,

17:23I would have gone back and said, hey, I'll take whatever you want to give me for M.B. to make the best deal that you can. Because the injuries are piled up now. There's nobody who believes he can stay out there, not just for an 82 game season, but to what we're describing in the playoffs when you need them. The sixers tried. The process is just about done though. Because they have some nice pieces. Maxie's a hell of a player and he's getting better. But when you're building around M.B. and you need Paul George, and you've got Nick Nurse still there. I mean, that's a wrap. It's over. They are not good enough. And even in a best case scenario, if they were to get through to that first round guys, where are they going? And that's part of the problem with Philly. There's always a reason why they're falling short. Yeah. Yeah, it's time to end the process. I think that's what you said. That probably summed it up the best. Nick, we appreciate it, man. You're going to Vegas this weekend. Enjoy it.

18:24I wish we'd be joining you, but it's going to be a hell of a time, brother, and we can't wait to catch up with you next week. Guys, I always enjoy being with you. In fact, to go from Vegas on the red eye to the garden on Sunday, that's going to be a trip. I mean, I cannot wait to see that place rocking with a little intensity, but I might need a little nap on that plane on the way over. That's why it's a red eye. Hopefully you don't get off it with red eyes. That's it. I appreciate it, man. Enjoy. See you guys. Hi, Dre Nick. There you go. That was honestly sports MBA insider Nick Friedel and cider calls are brought to you by Hyundai and the all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. All right. We'll take a short break for a number to join the show and talk anything hoops is 310-840-4910. That's 310-840-4910. When we come back, we're going to preview. The Big East Tournament, Speaking of the Garden, and the Mountain West Tournament. And also, we've got breaking news out of the big 12.

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