In this week’s podcast, we are discussing the NBA playoffs and the teams’ effort to getting there.
ROB: What’s going on guys? I’m Rob Scott.
DERRICK: I’m Derrick Coleman,
ROB: And welcome to off the field. So today is our final podcast of the semester. Man.
DERRICK: I can’t believe we made it to 18 weeks,
ROB: man with the virus pandemic and everything going on
DERRICK: Yeah
ROB: So, what we’re going to talk about today is the NBA far as what teams do, we believe that would have made it pretty far in the playoffs. I’m not going to be biased. I’m a Laker fan, so I’m not gonna say a Laker destination. Because that’s what has been the obvious choice for me. So I’m gonna say if the Lakers wasn’t in the playoffs. I’m actually gonna go with the Boston Celtics, even though I’m a Laker fan, and that’s like the number one rival the Boston Celtics are doing pretty good.
ROB: There was an As a young team that has a lot of energy, I feel like they would have figured out some kind of way to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, get past the Toronto Raptors. And I feel like if the Clippers or the Houston rockets, we went to the finals. I feel like the Celtics was a better team than those two teams. So I feel like the self probably would add number 18 in the Raptors if the Lakers wasn’t there.
DERRICK: Yeah, I mean, if you want to start in the east, we could do that. I mean, according to what I’m seeing here, the Bucks the Raptors, and the Celtics when they finish would have made it to the playoffs for sure.
ROB: Mhm.
DERRICK: I mean, the heat we’re kind of like right behind but I mean,
ROB: The Heat had their own issues going on. I don’t think they would have made it that far.
DERRICK: Same thing with the pacers of the pacers are right behind the heat.
ROB: Yeah, this year the East was it was originally was four teams that would’ve done good but the 76ers were a big letdown. So it only was three good teams in the East that would have come into the playoffs pretty strong, which is the Raptors and Celtics and the Bucks.
DERRICK: Cleveland would have never made it.
ROB: Who?
DERRICK: Cleveland.
ROB: Of course not they gonna make without LeBron James on your team. So for the West, I’m going to go with a surprising team, a young team, Denver Nuggets. I think that team, they share the ball a lot. They’re fundamental. They listen to their coach. They will get in your face. They’re not scared, they won’t back down. I think they would have had a great series with the clippers. I wish I would have had a chance to see that.
DERRICK: Yeah.
ROB: Or against the rockets. I think those would have been some very interesting playoff battles.
DERRICK: So I mean, we all know that the Lakers would have been the first team to clinch the playoffs
ROB: Yeah,
DERRICK: I think that they did like a week Before they went into shutdown or two that went to shut down. The Clippers are always there. For some reason, the nuggets that really surprised me the nuggets.
ROB: Yeah, the nuggets have been knocking on the door. I feel like the nuggets. If the Lakers weren’t there, they would have been a very surprising team or it just would have been another team that had just got pushed aside because I think the nuggets, they have enough to make it far into the playoffs. question is do they have enough to win in the playoffs? That’s a big question with them because? Nok Jokic and Jamal Murray.
DERRICK: Mm-hmm.
ROB: And a guy like Gary Harris.
DERRICK: Yeah.
ROB: They’re really good players. But I feel like if they had like one superstar I’m talking about not even just a superstar, a star who can help them not feel like they would make it pretty far like a guy like a CJ McCollum will help him a lot. A guy like Devin Booker will help them pretty much small stars as not superstars, but we’ll help them get that little extra push to help them become champions. I think if that team had that, they for sure would have been a little dangerous team.
ROB: It would have been a closer race between the nuggets and the jazz.
DERRICK: Yeah, But like the jazz is on the brink of too old and too young. I would say Uh, yes. Michael Conley. Yeah, Michael Conley is a very underrated point guard. Don’t get me wrong. I love Michael Conley as a point guard but I feel like they too old
ROB: in some areas and they’re too young in other areas.
DERRICK: Mm-hmm.
ROB: I don’t feel like they have like a balance. You know what I’m saying?
DERRICK: What do you think about um, Donovan Mitchell.
ROB: That guy’s great. He’s gonna have a good future. But if I’m Donovan Mitchell, I’m telling my front office to give me some help. That could be here for the next five to 10 years with me. I would just bounce and go somewhere else. Now I know that the notion is that we hate players that are hopping on different teams, but I’m Donovan Mitchell was there in Utah for him. The last time Utah ever came close to a championship was in 99. I mean, 98 and 97, when Jordan’s Bulls knocked them out twice. Other than that nobody else wants to come to Utah. Nobody’s going to Salt Lake City, they already have a racist fan base
DERRICK: I’m surprised that Rudy Rudy Gobert is still there.
ROB: Yeah, I heard some rumors that he might get traded eventually. But, you know, that’s just a guy who was being too young and not being smart.
DERRICK: But I mean, they even had Jordan Clarkson that’s, you know.
ROB: Yeah, I feel like Jordan Clarkson fell off though. He was good with the Lakers. I really liked him when he was with the Lakers. I felt like he would have been a great future piece. But then when he went to Cleveland in it, he had to deal with LeBron James. You know, Role when LeBron James is the main guy in the playoffs he kind of fell off with that
DERRICK: Low key. I think the Lakers got rid of him because of magic.
ROB: I wouldn’t say that I would say because they were were Jordan Clark. He got traded. Yeah, Magic Johnson came in and traded him away. But look where he traded him for Jordan. Clarkson was a young guy. He has he had a future but they didn’t see him in the plans of what they wanted at the time, because obviously, that plan went away. So I feel like magic johnson didn’t really have that much to do with it. I just felt like it was far as future planning of what they were looking at at the time to get
DERRICK: how many teams could go to the playoffs from each section. Is it four or eight
ROB: Eight
DERRICK: Eight
ROB: Yeah, eight teams are in the playoffs.
DERRICK: So it would have been Lakers, clippers, Nuggets, Jazz. Thunder Rockets, Mavericks and Grizzlies.
ROB: Yep. The pelicans were I feel like that I wish we would have had to end of the season because those last bottom three with the pelicans, the Grizzlies, and blazers. I feel like those would have been some great games for us to watch that. Had they a
DERRICK: Yeah, the Thunder and the Rockets had the same record.
ROB: Yes. And I feel like the rockets are just a little bit better the thunder did catch a lot surprising because they that was the mix, that the jazz don’t have the jazz have too much or too much young or the thunder they have a little bit older guys just good enough for them to still play and make a big effect on the team. And they have a lot of youthful guys that’s going to provide that energy and I feel like they had a great mix you know possibly make it to the second round.
DERRICK: Who’s on the Thunder Chris Paul who else?
ROB: Chris Paul Shai Giliousalexander Steven Adams people like them
DERRICK: mm hmm
ROB: yeah very very good team
DERRICK: Yeah.
ROB: They probably would have made it to the second round they probably got eliminated like a team by a Clippers or the Rockets or possibly the Lakers have they played them?
DERRICK: Yeah. Cuz I mean even for that seven and eight in the East would have been nuggets and magic.
ROB: The who
DERRICK: the nuggets
ROB: nuggets is West.
DERRICK: No The Nets and the Magic
ROB: The Nets, I feel like the Nets it’s not their time yet, because Kevin Durant’s not there, so they probably would have made it as far as possibly second round. I would say he probably get eliminated by the Bucks or the Celtics. If I’m being honest, Kyrie Irving is great over there. I can’t wait to see future Laker and Net games. Or nets and clippers or nets and the Bucks nets and Celtics, I mean, those are going to be some historic battles that we’re going to remember. So, uh, let’s have you let’s go ahead and switch gears here. Let’s go to baseball. Obviously we know baseball is slowly going to make a comeback this year. So Derek, what team do you feel like? Will they have a possibility of winning the World Series this year besides our beloved Los Angeles Dodgers. Okay, so, for me, I think that besides the Dodgers, I feel like the Philadelphia Phillies are going to be a very good dangerous team this year. Bryce Harper, jt realmuto we have Rhyis Hoskins. I feel like the Philadelphia Phillies would be a great team to have their redemption from last year. Not making it today. playoffs. I think they’re going to be a very dangerous team this year. What are you
DERRICK: Are we starting with the America or national
ROB: National League the Phillies are in the National League.
DERRICK: Okay.
ROB: So what team do you feel like will make a dangerous threat to the playoffs besides the Dodgers
DERRICK: Dodgers I’m not a dodgers fan remember?
ROB: Oh, you’re Anaheim. I forgot about that. So besides our team
DERRICK: But but
ROB: Besides, besides our LA teams what do you think
DERRICK: I do put I do put for the Dodgers when they get to the playoffs
ROB: Mm hmm.
DERRICK: Um I would have to say the rockets. The rockets were looking pretty good.
ROB: The Rockets
DERRICK: the Rockies.
ROB: Oh, the Rockies.
DERRICK: Yeah,
ROB: Colorado.
DERRICK: Yeah. Okay, from what I saw They we’re doing pretty good. Even great.
ROB: I could see the Rockies doing something. They have always been knocking on the door. One of the teams that get the dodgers the most headaches for their divisional rivals. So I see the Rockies doing pretty good Nolan Arenado. You got a Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story. McMahon over there. So that’s a pretty good team that’s been knocking on the door. thing is this they’re pitching can there pitching, become better. They have the hitters they have the fielders they have great coaching question is is their pitching going to live up to? The standard Same as with the angels, that’s the number one problem they have is pitching. Same as the Dodgers. As much as you’d like to say the Dodgers have great pitching. They don’t. They’re old, or they’re too young. Just like the Like we say about the Utah Jazz to old in some areas and to young into some other areas, and they gotta find that kind of balance.
DERRICK: But you know, what though is crazy because the all-star game was supposed to be at Dodger Stadium this year.
ROB: Yeah. Oh, $1 million renovation was built and sad. Think about it, we won’t be able to see it probably for a whole another year.
DERRICK: True So I wonder if they’re gonna keep it at Dodger Stadium for next year?
ROB: I believe so. I think uh, because I haven’t been to Dodger Stadium in over I think it was 60 years. I want to say it
DERRICK: was it really,
ROB: yeah, I haven’t been at Dodger Stadium in 60 years, something like that. I heard. It may be less than maybe more. I just feel like 60 was a number that I remember right now. So I feel like they’re going to give it back to LA next year with fans there because I may just write it don’t make sense for them to not come back. And that’d be another 25 to 60 years before it comes back again. Because you know la loves baseball. I mean, baseball and Los Angeles now is finally booming. More people are understanding what baseball is there are more programs. And I just credit to the players that are out here in LA for as the Justin Turner Cody Bellinger Kershaw, Mike trout. Now Anthony Rendon, Albert Pujols. Those type of guys have made baseball la pretty big now where a lot more people are paying attention to it. So I feel like the MLB will have their All-Star game back right here.
DERRICK: Yeah. Oh,
ROB: go ahead.
DERRICK: I mean, it. It should and I hope it does. Because I mean, that’s a lot of money that the team gets, you know, that’s just for having it there.
ROB: Yep.
DERRICK: Oh, yeah, he
ROB: wasted
DERRICK: the last time that Dodgers had the all-star game was 1980
ROB: so it wasn’t 60 years ago is like, If my math correct almost around 40 years now.
DERRICK: Just about
ROB: Yeah. Because it’s been 30 years since they won the championship at 88. So I’ll say about 38 to 37th. My math is correct. I’m not, you know, really thinking too hard about it was around that time.
DERRICK: It’s been 40 years
ROB: Yeah. So, uh yeah, it has been 40 years. Exactly if I know I’m looking at it. So with that being said, Are there any final things you want to say to us for our last podcast?
DERRICK: Hey, we had a good run, though. What’s the last five weeks we have put up a podcast every week?
ROB: Yeah. Very good.
DERRICK: Yeah. Well, what about you any final words?
ROB: Be safe Remember social distancing? Uh, one thing I can always say is that, uh, let us be the reason why this virus goes away. Don’t be a part of the reason why it’s still here. True. Make sure you always stay in contact with loved ones, even people that you haven’t reached for a very long time. Because you never know when is the last day that some of these people will be on this earth? So love each other be with each other. And share happy moments from the distance.
DERRICK: Oh, yes. And also check in on each other.
ROB: Exactly.
DERRICK: Yeah.
ROB: All right, you guys. We’re gonna wrap it up. Thank you guys for visiting off the field. Again. I’m Rob Scott.
DERRICK: I’m Derrick Coleman
ROB: and we’re signing off for the semester.
