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very Merry Christmas, Jalen.
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You look outstanding.
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That's mutual, my brother.
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Happy holidays, E.
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Look, we look a little different today from each other Now.
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We saw earlier you were fiddling with that.
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Where did you wind up putting the microphone on the Christmas one Z?
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Yeah, so I just not realize something.
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When I was preparing to do the show trying to be a highly trained professional.
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It's really tough to place a mic on a one Z, you know?
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So I had to kind of close the camera and kind of take it up through the ankle greeny, you know, kind of like I had to take it up through here.
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You know, it was crazy, but I even got the We got the shoes and everything, man.
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I'm in the Christmas spirit for sure.
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You know, I got every got a pedicure yesterday.
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Look at this like a baby's bottom.
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Look at this.
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But a holiday.
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That is not the way America expected to wake up on Christmas Day with a good look at a very handsome man.
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Okay, Get get up.
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Lets go through today's games in the order, they will be played and you tell us.
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What gift to the N ba has given us in each of these.
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And let's start with the pelicans and the heat.
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What is the Christmas gift that we will receive from that game today?
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Thank you, Commissioner Silver for delivering a champion in the bubble last year, getting us n ba basketball and the first game I'm looking forward to Zion Williamson.
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Remember this freak athlete that we were talking about it?
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Duke University greenie got to the league, dealt with some injuries, have that's, um, minutes restrictions.
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However, he was a point a minute.
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This dude average around 25 points.
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He's gonna be outstanding.
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Understand?
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Van Gundy running alongside his All star partner from last year, Brandon Ingram.
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I'm gonna ask you one question per each one of these.
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And my question for you is this.
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If Zion is healthy all year and is not on a minutes restriction when we get to the end of the season, will he be in the MVP conversation?
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Will he be that good?
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Not in the MVP conversation.
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I'm gonna tell you the conversation.
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He will be in the the playoff play in conversation.
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You know those final 14 to get a chance to play for those last two spots.
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He'll be in that conversation.
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Okay, fair enough.
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Next game is Warriors Bucks.
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What is the Christmas gift you were looking for in that game?
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So starting a day greeny.
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I want to see Steph Curry become that guy that took the world by storm and lead these Golden State words to the playoffs without a splash.
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Brother Clay Thompson when KD left.
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Okay, See, Russ was able to do that.
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Since Dave has been in Portland, he's been able to do that.
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I anticipate Steph Curry being healthy this year and him being able to play back and an all NBA caliber level.
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Okay, that actually answered my question on that.
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So let me skip to the next one, which I think is the most intriguing game of the day.
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Nets Celtics What gift are you looking for in that game?
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Wow.
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Dynamic duels on both sides and the level of relevancy that we now have in New York watching quality basketball in Brooklyn, led by K D.
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Who's coming back from an Achilles injury, and Kyrie Irving, two of the best scores isolation players we have in the league.
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So many whose so many odds so many opportunities to get these guys to make plays for their team.
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And on the other side, a dynamic young duel in Jason Tatum, who just hit a game winning shot off the glass, and Jalen Brown, who will be all envy a defense.
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Just look at these dynamic duels we have going in the league.
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Boston has done a terrific job of building talent through the draft.
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I just hope that they could get the production from the five spot with Tristan Thompson etcetera, to give these guys some balance because they're gonna be terrific on the perimeter.
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If I told you this was a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston in Brooklyn, would you agree or disagree?
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I wouldn't be mad at it at all.
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Greenie.
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Here's the thing about the East being so very wide open since LeBron left.
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So y goes to Toronto.
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They win the East.
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Jimmy Butler goes to the heat, They win the East.
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So now a couple of teams that have been left at the altar, the Sixers, the Celtics and the Bucks have been left at the altar.
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It's up to those team to see if they could get over the top.
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We're gonna include the Nets in that conversation, even though Kevin Durant is coming off a major Achilles injury.
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Alright, jail in the next game, obviously a huge spotlight on the big Stars.
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Mavericks Lakers.
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What gift are we looking for in that game?
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All LeBron versus Luca?
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No, no question about it.
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So LeBron James is still playing at an elite level.
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The Lakers got better this offseason.
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Anthony Davis is gonna be outstanding.
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He's improved.
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This three point shot you asked, shrewder.
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You add Montrezl Harrell.
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The Lakers are loaded.
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They are the clear cut favorite to win it all, but Luca is outstanding.
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Last season, Green and he took that all N B A top 10 players in the game type of leap.
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He's gonna be flirting with 25 to 30 points.
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Double figure dimes.
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Yes, he's gonna have a lot of triple doubles.
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He's a smart player, terrific passer, No crystal sports.
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Seeing is, however, which, uh, that's going to get the Lakers clear pole position, but Luca donkeys, if you have not seen him play, he's a wizard with the basketball.
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No question All right.
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One more.
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The nightcap tonight.
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Clippers, Nuggets.
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What are we looking for?
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Paul?
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George.
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Paul George?
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Because during this pandemic I've seen a lot of people assassinate his character and calling Pandemic P and joked that he was playoff and he wasn't getting it done on that side.
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But on the other side, my guy, the Joker.
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Did you see the numbers he put up in the first game?
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Greedy 20 plus points.
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14, 15 rebounds and dimes.
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The Denver Nuggets beat the Clippers last year after trailing 31 This is gonna be a great night capper tonight.
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The Clippers and the Nuggets gonna be a terrific day of basketball.
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And there's no better way to start it than with you, my friend.
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Ah, very merry Christmas to you and Molly and your whole family.
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I can't wait to see you.
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Thank you.
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Enjoy the day.
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