Ep. 54: Luka Demolishes Phoenix, Conference Finals Picks, & Heat vs. Celtics Rematch Preview

On the eve of the 2022-23 NBA Season, Alex breaks down the competitive layout in each conference, discusses who will take home each of the NBA awards, and makes his early 2023 NBA Finals predictions.

John and Alex are joined by NBA draft expert Eli Mallouhi to break down the biggest 2022 draft storylines. Who will the Magic select with the first overall pick? Which player has the highest upside? How good can Chet Holmgren be? Then, they go through a mock draft for the first 14 picks.

Eli Mallouhi joins John & Alex to recap the NBA Finals. They then get into a heated discussion about Steph Curry's legacy and his 2015 Finals MVP case, and wrap up by making early 2023 NBA Finals picks.

Alex shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals: how did Golden State win their fourth title in eight years? What went wrong for Boston? Then, he gets into legacy talk, breaking down where Steph ranks all-time after his greatest finals performance yet, and comparing this Warriors dynasty to the other NBA dynasties. Finally, Alex gives his way-too-early predictions for who will be crowned 2023 NBA champions.

Ahead of Game 1 on Thursday night, John and Alex dive into the 2022 NBA Finals storylines, x-factors, predictions, and the legacy of Steph Curry.

John and Alex mourn Miami’s ECF Game 7 home loss to the Boston Celtics, the toughest Heat loss they can remember. They discuss what went wrong for the Heat, the greatness of Jimmy Butler, and consider what moves Pat Riley should make in the off-season to improve. Additionally, they give Jayson Tatum and the Celtics *some* credit for FINALLY punching their ticket to the finals while simultaneously throwing shade and discrediting them as frauds (just kidding (not really)).

John and Alex talk about Jimmy Butler’s herculean Game 6 effort in Boston—47 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists—to force a Game 7 back home in Miami (1:02), before unpacking their thoughts, emotions, x-factors and predictions for game 7 (9:40).

John and Alex open the show by discussing Luka’s historic game 7 demolition of the one-seeded Phoenix Suns (2:00). They then break down and make predictions for the WCF matchup between the Mavericks and the Warriors (17:20) before diving deep into a full Heat vs Celtics ECF preview (27:35) and making their picks for the series (46:48).

John and Alex return to the pod for the first round of the playoffs. They breakdown the Heat’s gentlemen sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, discuss what went wrong with Brooklyn this year and if anyone won the Harden-Simmons trade, and then dive into the biggest surprises and best series of the first round.

John & Alex recap the NBA All-Star game, including a 50-point and 16 three-pointer performance from Steph Curry and LeBron’s game-winning shot. Then they argue whether or not Anthony Davis is a top 75 NBA player of all time, and dive into the weekend of LeBron James narratives, with speculation about him returning to Cleveland for a second time, joining forces with his son Bronny in the future, and the Lakers’ bleak title hopes. They wrap up the show with end of the season predictions for awards and finals picks.