You know, it's a huge honor and and, you know, I feel like you know every team.

Geo least get to play on Christmas at least once, trying to the basket inside.

Gonna finish for Brian.

Kobe Bryant.

38 points for the Lakers.

Cooper's the Joker.

The Clippers will be looking for revenge against the Nuggets, who knocked him out of the playoffs.

And the bubble.

This one is in Denver.

10 30 Eastern, ESPN.

Stephen A.

Who do you have more faith in moving forward?

Is it the Nuggets or the Clippers?

For me, it's the Clippers.

And the reason why it's the Clippers is because I think that when you talk about the Clippers going up against the Los Angeles Lakers again, they're highly motivated.

And I think they match up, particularly with the acquisition of Serge Ibaka, not to beat the Lakers, but I think all of those intangibles, all of those things on the side combined with the skill set that they have in play.

I definitely think that could give the Lakers a significant run for their money.

My issue with the Denver Nuggets, Max is believe it or not, the Joker.

He is incredibly skilled.

We know that.

He has a special talent.

He's an all star, you know.

He's big time.

We get it.

Except for when he's going up against Anthony Davis.

I think that when he has to answer the Anthony Davis, I think it's a problem for him.

And when you acquire Marc Gasol and then you add.

Montreal's Harold is well, even though he had his way with Harold and those boys for the Clippers last year in the conference semifinals, when the average 20 for the bottom line is, I just think that going when you talk about them or compared to the Clippers is being that formidable threat to the Lakers.

I trust the Clippers MAWR because I think athleticism is desperately needed when you're going up against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joking can play, uh, no doubt about that, but he he can't jump onto a curve.

I mean, he has no hops whatsoever.

You need that against Anthony Davis.

He doesn't have it, and I think because he's such a focus for Denver offensively as well, he should be when he's going up against Anthony Davis It's a huge, huge problem for Denver to overcome, and that's my issue with that matchup.

Well, look, the reason a D is better than Yokich is because A D is a superstar, a superstar on both ends of the floor.

But Yokich could do so many things offensively.

You know, if you shut down his scoring and he could bully you inside, he could shoot from the outside.

He is arguably, and you probably win the argument, the greatest passing big who ever lived, at least in the modern era.

He could bring the ball up like he could actually be your your point center, bringing the ball up and getting you into the offense or or from the pivot or wherever.

This dude is special and and, more importantly, Stephen A.

He and Jamal Murray play up in the playoffs.

They become the best version of themselves when you need the most, right.

I mean, these guys and Jamal Murray is still getting better.

So the difference between the two teams and we go to the supporting cast and you're right, the Nuggets supporting cast is gonna have to get better from within because they are a team who really probably needed to add something, but didn't.

But they have reason to believe that Michael Porter Jr will become a legitimate third scoring star to go with the other two.

In the meantime, Will Barton is no slouch.

She's a good MBA player as this Paul Millsap, like they have guys in their starting lineup in rotation who can play.

But the important thing for me is I look at the Clippers.

I see their two stars and Paul George.

I hate to do this.

I don't like doing this to James Harden.

I especially don't like doing it to Paul George, who, like I used to argue with people four or five years ago.

He's better than Carmelo because he's a two way player and everyone was telling me I was crazy.

So I really root for for Paul George.

But the fact is he goes away in the playoffs like Carmelo was a guy who, when the moment was big, you can give him the ball on.

Carmelo could take you there.

Paul George has not been that guy in the playoffs, period.

Yokich has been.

Jamal Murray has been, but on Li Kuai has been on the Clippers now.

So there's number two scorer is gonna be Who?

Lou Williams.

Not that he can't do it, but that's not how it's supposed to be.

They really need Paul George to be a superstar in the playoffs.

I haven't seen it.

I have to say I have more faith in the Nuggets as a result.

Well, listen, Paul George, I mean, listen last year, Game seven, there's no excuse for him and him and Kawhi Leonard.

But I'm just looking at his numbers here, Max says.

I wanted to look it up in the previous four playoff Siri's that Paul George was in last year, and last year he averaged 27 28 24 28.

Now, Max, he could have played better, particularly in clutch moments.

I understand that, but we're talking about him like, you know, you're talking about him like he just wet the bed every time that you know what?

He was just a shell of himself, like the damn near scrub Paul George Pinball Paul George just had good performances in the postseason in his career.

It hasn't been consistent enough.

It certainly didn't occur last year, particularly in Game seven, but let's cut the brother a little bit of slack.

It's not like the brother went AWOL and disappeared other than Game seven.

It's not like he went AWOL and just disappeared.

And all of these years he's never done anything.

Paul George has had plenty of good playoff game performances, is just a sustained level of excellence that's required for you to get to that next level.

Where LeBron and A D and those boys.

Because a D average 31 last year in that conference finals against the Joker, he averaged 21 a.

D average 31.

Yeah, we need to see more of that from Paul George, No question.

But it was like Paul George was some scrub that can't show up come postseason time.

I think we need to stop talking about him like that.

Well, well, hold on.

It's the same thing I say about James Harden, if you like.

When you're falling from a very high height, you fall down, you're still pretty good.

I'm not saying Paul George is a below average player, even in the playoffs.

What I'm saying, Paul George is above average.

Yeah, I got it he's in a But let me be very clear.

He's Paul George in the playoffs is an above average starter.

He's an above average player for a starter, which is a good player, right?

I'm not saying he's not.

I'm saying in the regular season he's an above average All star.

So how's he?

Why do you like that?

Makes you think if if a dude like that plays up like that's quiet for for a lot of his career for the last several years in the regular season, he's not an M V.

P s and above average All Star playoff start.

He's an M v p.

Paul George needs to be that dude.

That's Jamal Murray.

Stephen A.

Remember, we're telling last couple of years Jamal Murray is coming along, but I'm like, OK, but Jamal Murray is like All star ish.

But when they needed him most in the playoffs, that dude's an M v p that superstar feats.

Paul George doesn't yoga superstar a superstar Jamal Murray and Yokich in the playoffs superstar could play superstar, not Paul George.

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