Ballin' On A Budget Podcast

0:00:00
(Speaker 2)
Welcome to Ballin' on the Budget, where we talk about sports under price. We got Jordan, Nick, Alonzo, and me, Marcellus. Let's start the show. Alright everyone, welcome to Ballin' on the Budget. I'm here with one of our co-hosts, Nicholas Garcia. Man, how's it going Nick?
0:00:22
(Speaker 1)
I'm doing pretty good. How you doing Marcellus?
0:00:24
(Speaker 2)
Man, I'm doing all right, man. So for NBA, man, there's a lot of crazy trades that was happening this week, man, this past week. And one of those trades just happened to be our favorite team, the Lakers, when they traded Anthony Davis for Luka.
0:00:37
(Speaker 2)
I know you're a big fan. We're not a big fan, but you recognize Luka's game. So give me your thoughts on how good that trade was.
0:00:46
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I think initially, obviously everyone at Shock, I think we're a week into this trade, so, you know, I think it's settled down a little more, but I think this trade sets us up for the future, hopefully, and, you know, I was watching a couple podcasts with some NBA players, I have to say, about the trade, and most of them said the same thing that everyone's feeling, like, this is like a ridiculous trade, this shouldn't have happened, but some also said that there's probably something that Dallas' staff knows that we don't know.
0:01:16
(Speaker 1)
But, you know, hopefully not. Hopefully LeBron could get them right, mentor him. And, you know, it'll set us up pretty good. We got two dominant players, you know, one game in. We were already playing good without AD. And just to see us continuing to play good, scoring, I think it's,
0:01:34
(Speaker 1)
it just needs to continue. Like, we can't stop scoring all of a sudden and just have like, you know, really playing off or especially Reeves now. Reeves has to play, you know, his role now more than ever since we gave AD away. You know, the scoring has to stay consistent.
0:01:50
(Speaker 2)
For sure. What do you think about it? The way I think about it is, at first I was a little hesitant because I did see like, you know, our other coach Alonzo said, you know, we lost one of our you know best players and obviously it was he was a power forward But he was our big man, and we traded him for Luca Which is Lucas not a bad player
0:02:10
(Speaker 2)
But I see what Zoe was saying about like the fit for the team and like how we still need that big man piece You know the guard you know taller players. You know guard bigs like yo kids. You know that yeah, but I feel like um It's a good trade. You know look at Luca wasn't doing bad for his arm his first game I saw him he was loving being on the Lakers that pass. He threw the LeBron man. I was That was amazing moment. But what do we feel about the you know, the other side of the trade? What do we feel about how 80 is going to the mass and what he brings to the mass? I
0:02:42
(Speaker 2)
feel like
0:02:44
(Speaker 1)
With Nico Harrison and you know what he said about defense and how he feels you know defenseman championship Just right and the move is right on paper that team is how a team is supposed to be built You know got Kyrie running the one clay at the two They got Christie as well. You know that's a lot of people are saying and in you know us as Lakers fans We see we see how much he balls. We see how good of a PC is then they added a D at the floor Which is a position he's been wanting to play
0:03:13
(Speaker 1)
and they already had good big pieces. So on paper it makes sense, but they're getting the AD experience that we unfortunately got, which is an injured on and off AD. And I think he's out for a month supposedly.
0:03:30
(Speaker 1)
And it's just unfortunate timing with 30 games left in the season. That means they're gonna have to figure it out. I mean, they figured it out that game. He was balling the first half. He bought the whole game
0:03:40
(Speaker 1)
I think he he had 20 something and I think 16 rebounds. He did pretty good but You know, it just sucks that he got injured and I think I think there are other bigs got injured, too
0:03:51
(Speaker 2)
So it's not looking too good for Dallas. What do you think? Yeah, I feel like um, I feel like even without a D I feel like they're still a good team because remember this is a team that went to the to the to the finals even though that was with Luca we also got other pieces like Kyrie, Gaffer, Lively we got all those you know key role players but I feel like you know before the injury I feel like even if they have it if they don't have AD they're still a good team but like with AD that is add so much more to their to
0:04:22
(Speaker 2)
their to their team that can possibly push him to go to the playoffs. Maybe even Western Conference. But we do have a history, being a Lakers fan, we do know a history of AD getting injured out of nowhere. But it all depends when he comes back, when he comes back in time for the important games.
0:04:44
(Speaker 2)
But for now, we just got to see how the season runs its course with that side, for the mass
0:04:50
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, I definitely agree. I think the mass can go far, but it's just about their timeline You know what? I mean, they they got to think that their players. I mean, let's be real. It's not it's not 2017 2018 You know, this isn't the same Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Although they're still Serviceable and any franchise would be you know more than better off with them It's just they got to think of their timeline and how long they have to win. So I think they can figure it out in the next, you know, this year, the next two,
0:05:19
(Speaker 1)
three years, you know, but the Western Conference is going to get more competitive, especially with Luca being on the Lakers and, you know, Lakers timeline is shifting as well. We went from having the kind of, cause this is how I feel. And this goes back on the trade. I feel like it already wasn't there working out for us like let's be real we haven't We made it to the Western Conference final right against the Nuggets, right?
0:05:44
(Speaker 1)
I'm not mistaken. Yeah, I think conference. Yeah, we you know and we've been this playing team that and that's all we've been
0:05:51
(Speaker 6)
That's right
0:05:52
(Speaker 1)
That's been our ceiling to be honest and it just wasn't working out and with this Lucas right that that that puts us on a different trajectory that puts us on a timeline where we could build around Luca and not have to worry about like alright well we got to transition from Bron and whatever. Now it's, no, that's Luca's team now, you know, honestly. And I think Bron's okay with that, hopefully.
0:06:16
(Speaker 1)
He's getting older, 40 years old. And I mention this to you, I think Bron's going to take that back seat with Luca. I think we're going to see him take that Westbrook role that he has with the Nuggets in the sense that he's gonna be utilizing what he does best, maximizing it in his role. You know what I mean?
0:06:35
(Speaker 1)
And he still scores effortlessly. So that's not gonna get taken away. It's just gonna make LeBron's job way easier while giving Luka the keys to the franchise, which we've been trying to do to ADV, but it just didn't seem like it was working out, you know what I mean?
0:06:51
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I agree, cuz those times we did go to the Western Conference, it was both times, I guess the Nuggets. The first time we didn't even win a game, I feel like we got 4-0'd, and then the next time we managed to get one game, but we still get 4-1. So it felt like that we was always in the same place, always going to the play-in, and then going to the Western Conference, and
0:07:13
(Speaker 2)
eventually losing to the same team so i i agree i agree we definitely need a change but you know we'll see how we see how the look at trade goes and there's another trade that didn't happen you know i know you know what i'm talking about the mark williams trade for the center
0:07:29
(Speaker 2)
i know you were talking about how you wanted to keep connect but like how do you feel that the trade got blocked you know how what is your take on that
0:07:37
(Speaker 1)
you know i'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I, you know, I mentioned this to you and to our other hosts. I think that we probably, and it's a good thing as well, like I would say I'm wrong in this because Reeves has been balling for us and I'm glad we didn't give him away because that'd be like a, that'd be a betrayal to Reeves, you know what I mean? And I hope nothing changes and I hope he stays in that you know like he stays a component of the Lakers But I thought I thought I'd trade
0:08:08
(Speaker 1)
deadline it'd be more like we need a big and luckily I think we got um Something I'm forgetting his life I'm forgetting his name, but I know we just signed a big Seven foot big from the king I think he just played with the Kings beginning his name But I I said, I think we could have gotten a better big for Reeves You know what? I mean, and we ended up trading connecting young a young piece, you know three-point shooter
0:08:37
(Speaker 1)
He was balling the beginning of season kind of had a slump but I Think it's good that we got him back in it and it sucks because I saw a report that said that He told JJ Redick that he needs time to adjust which is natural like that's kind of like a awkward awkward position to be put in but I Think if he's a professional and I'm not just saying this because it's you know, we're fans and it's our team
0:09:00
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, but what a franchise like the Lakers like this he was gonna go to the Hornets like not that that's bad or anything, but You you're not gonna be in can like you're not set up over there. The Lakers, we struggle to find a three-point shooter. We've been looking for one for the past four, C and five seasons. That's why Buddy Hield was always rumored to be a Laker. Now that we found one, we went and traded him away for a piece that could be good, and that sucks that his health was a problem, but at least we avoided that
0:09:33
(Speaker 1)
issue and we didn't end up like the Mavs and got a fragile piece.
0:09:40
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, because I feel like, you know, when looking at that, you know my take on it. You know, when I first heard that trade with Mark Williams, I was kind of low-key happy in a way, because it was finally, you know, because we've been saying this for years,
0:09:57
(Speaker 2)
like we need like a big, because you know, AD likes to play powerful. We need another big so he can move into that that four-row but um I kind of I kind of you know it is what it is so like you know if we if we get to keep Dawson connect because you know the dog connect is probably one of our best three-point shooters or most you know consistent on a team as far as
0:10:22
(Speaker 2)
you know the Lakers go but yeah man yeah yeah you know it is what it is man we Yeah, man. Yeah Yeah, you know it is what it is man. We get to keep don't connect in a Cam Reddits, that's that's what we got to do, but there's another there was another trade You know that that had me going crazy, but Nick you wasn't you wasn't feeling it You know it was a Jimmy Butler's trade to the Warriors. I'm saying
0:10:48
(Speaker 2)
Okay, I have two takes on this right two things We can go back to like the old Jimmy right the Jimmy that you know always goes to the Easter Conference Finals that takes his team to the finals. You know I'm saying that finals against the Denver Nuggets He doesn't always win, but he takes his team. It was that one team with Miami full of undrafted players Take it all the way to the finals. That's that's unheard of you know Then again warriors, you know to try to guy like Andrew Rick Andrew Wiggins that fits that team perfectly, you know warriors is all about like how did how the player fish the team?
0:11:19
(Speaker 2)
I don't know if Jimmy can you know correlate with Draymond and curry, but you know, it'll be good thing It would be good to see if that's even possible, you know, because if they can correlate I'm telling you bro They gonna be a threat but what's your thoughts on it Nick?
0:11:33
(Speaker 1)
Now, I just want to say you were completely right It looks like it's been working out for them so far. Jimmy's been able to adjust I thought I thought Jimmy wouldn't be able to adjust and that'd be like a weird fit Because I think Stephen Curry even said in a in a conference a press conference that uh They're completely different players, and they are completely different players not to say that they're battling all like I Mean obviously Stephen Curry is Stephen Curry, and he's obviously better than Jimmy Butler
0:11:56
(Speaker 1)
But I don't know it just seemed like a weird fit, but you know, the more I think about it and I see them play together, it makes sense, you know, they have they're making it work, you know, they're two vets that want to win Jimmy, obviously, he hasn't won one yet, he's been kind of like the Niners, to be honest, you know what I mean?
0:12:18
(Speaker 1)
Like, he's been close so many times, but he just he can't get it, you know what I mean? And like you said, he's done it himself and now it's time for him to have someone as reliable as him in the playoffs and I think it's just with the Warriors. It'd be a case of How they get it done in the playoffs right and it's same thing for us
0:12:36
(Speaker 1)
It's the same thing for us. Like we still got to figure it out. We just got Luca Donchie's like we don't have a we don't have a big and I Have I know I've thought about that in the sense. I you know, Jackson Hayes has been stepping up but like the way we've been playing we've been like scoring a lot and and that's that's just how we have to continue playing unfortunately and I say unfortunately because like you know it there comes
0:13:03
(Speaker 1)
nights where you're not gonna shoot the best you know what I mean but hopefully hopefully we could get that on lock and and you know just keep this like momentum that we have going but We have back to the Warriors. I think I think I think they'll figure it out. I feel like that was a I Mean, you know, Jimmy wanted out they got him out and they got him to at least a playoffs contending team
0:13:27
(Speaker 2)
Yeah for sure. Um, it was this three-team trade that um, that was kind of like mind-boggling to me It was the Spurs it was the Kings and it was the Bulls All right, so we're gonna break this down. All right. So how do we feel about Darren Fox going to the Spurs? That's a that's a pretty good move man, I would say I would like to say I was thinking about this the other day
0:13:47
(Speaker 1)
but this is kind of like a Like a new I Mean, it's an obvious statement, but it's kind of like a new era in the NBA Like I don't remember the Spurs being good since I was little since I was a little kid um, I think I think I went to Miami the year that Did they play the heat in the finals or mom? Yeah, they had a little run
0:14:08
(Speaker 1)
They had that little run with Tim Duncan Tony Parker and nobody but after that, yeah, the Spurs have been out the playoff contention
0:14:15
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, so I feel like we're seeing kind of like a resurgent,
0:14:27
(Speaker 1)
like a new era of the NBA. Lakers got their next franchise player, you know, Luka Doncic. But the Spurs also, they're setting themselves up for a great future. And I think they're figuring it out.
0:14:38
(Speaker 1)
Victor Wimber and Yama is like, I mean, he's the next. He's the next. I hate to say this. This is kind of like a bull saying, but I feel like it's not a bull saying at the same time. He's the next face of the league like he it's probably not gonna be Luca
0:14:51
(Speaker 1)
When we could do everything like that. Yeah, I don't know and and it's great to see the franchise listen to him and because I'm sure yeah, I'm sure he has saying this and And it's great to see Sacramento do service to Deere and Fox Because I remember seeing reports saying that he wanted to go play with Wembley and stuff And they got it done for him. And I feel like that's great. What do you think?
0:15:16
(Speaker 2)
I feel like, yeah, bro, it was it was a good trade. Because, you know, you know, before the season started, they got CP3. And that's like, to me, he's like, like the best person that can help Wimpy to end like in terms of like learning about the league and like, you know, yeah, doing what you do throughout the league. And then they got De'Aaron Fox, which, you know,
0:15:36
(Speaker 2)
fits perfectly, because I feel like throughout the years this first I've been trying to like you know rebuild and find that that good player to build around and I think wimpy is like that player you know yeah to build a future on not definitely yeah all right but like let's see what do we think about the the Kings trade obviously they got Zach Levine and like a couple like first round second round picks but how do you feel about that trade?
0:16:03
(Speaker 1)
I just want to say, I don't know what the Sacramento Kings are doing. That's kind of like, they have something going on and they're making some questionable moves. I don't know. They're professionals.
0:16:17
(Speaker 1)
They know what they're doing, obviously. But I mean, it was time for the Bulls to move on from Zach Levine. You know what I mean? And it's a good thing that they did. Not to say Sacramento is bad, they have good pieces, but that's just kind of like,
0:16:32
(Speaker 1)
there wasn't an issue with what was going on there, what they had. I mean, I don't know, I don't know their seating right now, but I think they were just balling a couple years ago, and I know they fired the head coach.
0:16:46
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, they fired Mike Brown, which is kind of like, it didn't make sense because the year before he won coach of the year so you know that was kind of unexpected but I guess they trying to rebuild I don't know why they would rebuild but you know maybe they
0:17:01
(Speaker 1)
see something we don't you know yeah I don't know they got some questionable things going on over there but you know they got Zach Levine a pretty good player he's you know serviceable player they have chemistry together him and the Rosen. So at least it's not like they're getting a player. That's unfamiliar with The play like, you know with the whole team like he like that's a pretty big piece because it's just the Marge Rosen You know what? I mean? That's second in command so
0:17:30
(Speaker 2)
You know at least they're in sync and then it makes things a little easier for the rest of the team I'm sure. Yeah like and then we're gonna go to the last trade which is Chicago Bulls. They didn't get like they didn't get a big player but they got good role players. They got Zach Collins, Trey Jones and Kevin Herter. How do you feel like are those good good fits for the Chicago Bulls or do you like disagree with that trade? No I feel like it was time for
0:17:57
(Speaker 1)
them to move on from Jaclyn Bean you know I mean I would have liked it I would have liked if they move on from Rusevich as well. Kind of sucks to see a player like that just kind of
0:18:06
(Speaker 5)
waste the end of his career,
0:18:08
(Speaker 1)
because he's still a service super big, I feel. Kind of just waste the end of his career on a team that has to rebuild. I don't know what Chicago's been doing. That's kind of like a mysterious ass franchise. Like, I don't know why they don't just like tank and just try again already
0:18:29
(Speaker 1)
But I feel like you know, this is a good this is good acquisition for them because now At least they have players like Herder, Vucevic that could kind of mentor the younger guys and show them the way just like There's a team that's doing it right now. I'm forget just like the Jazz just like the Jazz are doing I was um, I was listening to the commentary and The guys in the booth are talking about how the Jazz are, you know, they have a mixture of younger and older guys,
0:18:55
(Speaker 1)
but that's for a reason to develop the younger guys and teach them. And, you know, those vet guys are important. So maybe that's what Chicago has going on.
0:19:02
(Speaker 4)
What do you think?
0:19:04
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I feel like, yeah, I think it was time to move on from Zach LaVine. If you really want the, you know, the team to grow, you know, get a couple of good role players and like, you know, do what the Spurs do. Just keep, you know, keep drafting, keep drafting up, try to find that, that one rookie that, that you think that will, you know, you can build off of and have the role players kind of chip in. But like, yeah, man, like, you know, some of these trades I do, I do see a vision,
0:19:30
(Speaker 2)
but some of them is kind of, you know what I'm saying? Kind of off the top, but like, there was, it was one more trade. It was one more trade. We were gonna talk about it was the kai kuzma trade for Chris Middleton I was like that was crazy. Like what are your thoughts on that cuz I got some you know, I think
0:19:51
(Speaker 3)
You know That's another like mysterious trade
0:19:55
(Speaker 1)
I don't know what was going on there. Chris Middleton is obviously a great player sucks to see what they you know That that's it. That's an example. That's like if we traded Reeves like I
0:20:09
(Speaker 4)
Like okay like I don't
0:20:11
(Speaker 1)
like okay, Milwaukee, yeah the Little we're Lakers fans. We drafted Kyle who's we know how it is with Kyle Kuzma So I'm excited to see how he's gonna play hopefully for his sake You know he's got him better and matured as a player, and I'm sure he has in Washington. I'm sure he's learned a few things. But, man, I remember, personally, I did not like Kuzma.
0:20:38
(Speaker 1)
When we traded for Anthony Davis in 2018, 2019, I'm forgetting the year. When we included Brandon Ingram, I was so upset because, originally, I had read the report and they said they wanted Kuzma and the Lakers were like no we need Kuzma you can have Brandon Ingram which is like yeah no yeah I remember that yeah yeah and Kuzma is a mysterious ass player you don't know what you're gonna get out of him I don't know but like I said I haven't
0:21:06
(Speaker 1)
watched him but that's just based off the years that I saw him with the Lakers you know what I mean yeah but um sucks to see Chris Middleton done like that, but at least he gets to be around a rebuilding team, you know what I mean?
0:21:19
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I feel like, um, I feel like just trading a player like Chris Middleton is kind of like unnecessary. You know, and trading like so much in first round draft picks for Kyle Kuzma. Like I said, it's like one of those trades that maybe they see something we don't. Maybe Kuzma is a good fit, but I just don't see it as of right now but maybe you know he'll surprise surprises in the long run but Kuzma is one of those players obviously um you know we all we obviously had you
0:21:50
(Speaker 2)
know it was one time we had Lonzo Ball we had Brendan Ingram we had Kyle Kuzma we had all of them on the same team and I and obviously when we finally trade them they finally blossom and become great players. You know what I'm saying? And just like Brandy Ingram, I mean, he just got traded. He got traded to the Raptors, so.
0:22:08
(Speaker 1)
He got an extension as well.
0:22:10
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, he just got an extension, so we'll see what he does there. But yeah, man. Yeah, man, like the trades have been crazy, man, so.
0:22:18
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, you know, things definitely got shaken up, but I think, you know, hopefully, Kish benefited the best from it, but it was a great deadline. I feel like each team probably improved in a way like there was no bad trades I mean other than the and that's questionable other than the Luka AD one there was no like crazy like whoa they got J. You know what I mean but I mean we'll see what that
0:22:41
(Speaker 1)
Luka AD one and I think we'll be able to say if it was a bad trade or not in like three to four years ten max ten max to see how Lucas' career pans out, you know what I mean?
0:22:53
(Speaker 2)
Yeah man, it's just, you know, we're narrowing down to the end of the season and we'll see which trade makes the bigger run, you know what I'm saying? So man, I just wanted to thank, you know, Mr. Jason for letting me use this space, you know, to talk about, you know, sports with y'all. And I want to thank Nick for, my co-host Nick, for, you know, coming on this and talk about his take on basketball.
0:23:16
(Speaker 1)
Thank you, thank you for having me.
0:23:19
(Speaker 2)
Alright man well this is Ballin' on the Budget and I'm out. We'll see y'all. Thank you guys for watching the episode. If you want to learn more go to my Instagram MarcellusDavis underscore or find the show If you want to learn more go to my Instagram MarcellusDavis underscore or find the show on Instagram at Ballin' on the Budget.