I'm Rachel Nichols taking you through the first half of the MBA schedules with Mr Matt Barnes, Mr Paul Pierce, and it's time to play one of our favorite games.

Jump ball.

Let's start, gentlemen in the Eastern Conference, where the Miami Heat are looking to reach the finals for a second consecutive season.

Two of their biggest threats in the East, though the Bucks and the Celtics.

Boston plays Miami January 6th on ESPN Philly on ESPN on January 20th and proceed.

Significant date in general will take a look at some other matchups between these teams, but Paul, who is a bigger threat to the Heat bucks or Celtics Celtics, showed that.

I mean, I looked at the Milwaukee Bucks even though they had a great record.

M v p.

They got exposed.

I mean, simple is that they're a different team this year.

Yeah, holidays.

But they've been doing this every year.

We've seen this.

We've seen this show the last two years.

It's on repeat.

And so I think the Celtics have a better upside, and I think they're gonna learn they're gonna get better from their playoff experiences on.

They're gonna be the bigger threat this year between these two teams.

I'm picking the Celtics for every reason that Paul just said, but I think the overall bigger threat is the Nets.

Like I said, I'm really excited about seeing what Katie and Kyrie can do with that already, you know, explosive cord that they have.

So if they lose, those two could stay healthy and be on the same page with their teammates.

To me, like I said, they're my team in the East.

But the Bucks or that much of a prove it team for both of you guys that you wouldn't pick them between.

If you're just doing bucks Celtics, you wouldn't pick the Bucks.

I wouldn't pick that with what I've seen the last two years.

Rates.

I can't I can't.

I'm not a buyer.

What I'm selling.

I love to be wrong, though.

E.

I would love to be wrong, but like, to me, it's the Celtics.

Here's what I got on Yonas.

He's been proven people wrong his whole life.

I think this challenge ahead of him he'll be ready for.

We'll see what they dio.

Yes, it's certainly true you mentioned the Nets Of course, they visit the Rockets on March 3rd.

We don't know which of those two teams James Harden will be playing for.

I assume one of them, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said yesterday.

He's giving hardened space right now.

Of course, sources previously told ESPN that Harden wants to be traded to Brooklyn while the Rockets plan to enter the season with him on the roster.

So, Paul, what team do you think James Harden will be playing for in that March?

Third game?

Rockets or Nets?

I think he's going to play with the Houston Rockets.

If he ends up on the Nets.

They're my favorite to win it all.

Yeah, next year if he ends up on the Nets and it's gonna be hard for me to see that trade going down in Houston allowing that what do you think?

Uh, I think you'll be in Houston as well.

I think if they could get him to buy into what they're trying to do now, obviously they're moving pieces around picking up people.

Um, he was unhappy with management, you know what I mean?

So can management proved themselves to him?

They, like I said, they've made some solid move thus far.

Hey, wants out.

But like I said earlier in the show, if he doesn't buy in, if he stands his ground, the last thing you want is an unhappy superstar, right?

Well, I will say about Brooklyn.

You have a very smart front office led by Sean Marks there in a closed bidding situation with the Rockets, right?

Especially if James has said that's where I wanna go.

That's where I want to go.

They know that if they start the season well and you guys have been up here extolling the virtues of Kevin Durant and Kyrie and if both of those guys stay healthy, they might not need to pay the price that Houston is asking for.

James Harden.

James Harden Now, by the way, will need to go for that price for the Rockets.

So they're going to need to keep their price up.

But Brooklyn just might not be in a position where they need to pay it.

And that's why that trade might not happen.

They're gonna wipe.

I mean, if you think they're gonna take all their young core out, then witty Levert Allen, you know you name it because anytime you give away a superstar like that, you have to get least there's another star.

But they don't have, you know?

I mean, they have solid young players, so it's gonna completely wiped that team out from that standpoint, and it's really gonna be a big three.

And then what can you put around him?

All right, well, you guys both played for the Clippers.

Your old team has a number of built in rivalries this season.

Things got spicy gentlemen between Dame Lillard and the Clippers this past summer in the bubble.

Remember when T.

Mac used to be like I didn't play for the Knicks?

I don't remember that.

It's just completely went former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers.

You remember him, though.

Paul, right?

Remember him making all right?

He now finds himself with the Sixers after changing teams this offseason.

The Blazers face the Clips on December 30th, while the Clips won't face the Sixers until the second half of the schedule.

So, Matt, what's the spicier matchup for the Clippers?

Portland.

Considering what happened in the bubble or Philly with Duck, I think it's always fun to go back and play another coach and beat them.

But I think the more spicier matchup is the one that's gonna be on the court.

All the talking to Patrick Beverley was doing and all the tweet and they were doing.

And dame is not someone to really be played with.

So, you know, uh, Patch is gonna have to shut his mouth and show up and play because, you know, Dave is gonna be out there.

Be ready to play.

Absolutely.

It's gonna be on the court.

You don't understand this.

Yeah, they gonna see Doc twice this year.

This has the potential to see to the spicier than ever.

I'm talking about extra Spice Spice.

I'm talking about Louisiana and I'm talking about hot pepper spice because these two teams have the potential to see each other 10 times three times in the playoffs.

I mean, three times in the regular season and seven times in the playoffs.

So this is throw some extra spice on this gumbo, right?

And it's not just the patch of barely stuff.

We of course, know what Dame Lillard and Paul George the year before, right?

And, yeah, there's gonna be a lot there.

And speaking of Paul George during his media availability today, Paul said quote, I want to retire a Clipper Now.

Of course, George has played for three different teams over the previous four seasons.

But Matt, you interviewed PG recently on all the smoke.

Did you get the sense that he really does want to stick with the Clippers organization?

Long term?

He does.

I just think he has to, kind of.

He's in his head a lot right now, and that's what I kind of took away from our interview, and L.

A is not the place to do that.

They'll eat you alive.

So he has to, you know, show improved.

What do you mean by that?

Uh, not the L apart.

The first part?

Uh, he's just I just think he's overthinking every situation.

We know what he could do.

We've seen Paul at his best, and he's one of the best players in the game when he's playing his best on both sides of the ball.

But like I said, I think he's in his head too much right now, so he's got to get out of his head because L.

A is a monster.

They'll eat you up you give excuses, they're gonna eat you up The only way for him Toe happily retired with the Clippers.

Have to go out there and play every single night.

Like Britain, we know he's capable of playing and I'm excited to see his bounce back season because he knows he didn't He didn't do what he needed to do along with a high in the playoffs.

Yeah, I mean, Quiet has nothing to prove no more.

You don't have to win, but like a Sfar, as like you said, Man returned as a clippers pressure being ah player in L.

A.

Um hey, just has to go out there and be himself, like you said.

And and the one thing that could help him retires a Clipper go.

I win the championship, go out and win the championship.

They don't matter what you do after that.

You want to retire Clipper, put up or shut up.

That's it.

Yeah, and he has that ability.

And if you need motivation, just go back to the way the Blazers were tweeting about the Clippers when they got eliminated by the Nuggets.

I'm saying it's a lovely Twitter journey, just in case you wanna be a part of the game fired up.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

Subscribe Thio, ESPN plus.