So, Richard, throw the ray actual regular standings out.

We're not talking about who is ranked on this particular day at this particular moment in 12 or three for you, for your rankings.

How would you rank the Western Conference with what you've seen in the first half of the season?

I think the top four teams, regardless of record our Lakers Clippers, Denver in Utah.

Those are those are Is that an order?

I would say if you ask me what teams I thought could make it to the Finals, I would say Lakers, Clippers, Utah, then Denver.

So, uh, Yokich is having an MDP season?

I don't know.

That's a great picture.

Shows my head nice and shiny.

Uh, and then I think Utah has just been the best team all year long.

But you gotta respect the Lakers and the Clippers for some reason, including myself.

We just keep adding them in there, all right, not a bad list, but I agree with you on the Lakers Clippers, I think their head and shoulders, but I gotta throw the Phoenix Suns and okay, they they've been underrated.

Of course.

Utah has the best record, but watch out for the Phoenix Suns.

I'm telling you, the way they ended the bubble to where they are now.

I mean, they have to be a threat.

I mean, the leadership of Chris Paul, they got a closer and Booker and they have an outstanding young group of guys around great coaching staff.

So just watch out for Phoenix will come playoff time.

Why are you still sold on the Clippers?

What makes you think that they're going to do better than they did last year?

Well, I mean, you've gotta give some credit to Quad Leonard being on your squad when it goes to Toronto and brings the championship there with the addition of Paul George in the year he's having You got a championship caliber coaching and Ty Lue, the veterans around them.

I think they've learned from their past failures of last year, and I think they're gonna grow from it.

There's no way if the Clippers were in the Staples Center last year, they blew a 31 lead.

Either.

I do agree with you 100%.

I agree, but unfortunately, no, no, no, I do agree, but unfortunately we're in a position.

We got to talk about what happened, not the ifs and the maybes.

And so, unfortunately, I think the Clippers are still an approved me mode.

Proved proved to people.

And I think Milwaukee's in the same boat.

You have a couple of shortcomings in the postseason.

It's like, Dude, we can say how great your numbers are, what your record is.

But if you don't do it in the post season, Paul, like you, you made a career off of having good seasons.

But being a monster in the postseason, that's where you get your real reputation.

And I know we keep talking about why and what he did with Toronto and what he did with San Antonio.

But what he did with San Antonio.

He had Hall of Famers around him.

Great time in Toronto, but now this is an opportunity for him kind of paid his own way as leader.

So absolutely, I think the Clippers got a lot to prove the Jazz, by the way, not in the preseason predictions of everyone to be at the top of the conference, but look, they've proven it.

They're showing it on the court.

You can't be anything but impressed.

Great Paul, with what this team is doing?

Well, absolutely.

I mean, shot out the Quin Snyder I thought he should have been.

He should have been culture the year well, for the cards have been dealt.

And not that he hasn't been built some good players.

But you know, they don't have that just outright superstar that you're saying.

Like, Look at this guy is a generational player.

Donovan Mitchell has been great.

Rudy Gobert.

He's been great, but then the rest of these guys, they're just glorified role players.

I mean, Mike Conley.

He's probably the best non all star ever in the history of the league.

Great.

At this point at this point, someone please get Mike Conley like a seat at the All Star bench, something I mean to be a captain and just let him, like, pick players or something.

I know bribery.

Happy you back up there.

I think the one thing that people are not using against Utah and not that it's their fault is that they haven't had any injuries.

They haven't dealt with any real covid stuff.

So when you start to look at not not at all, but not nearly as much as some of the other teams like you.

Look at Portland a ton of injuries, you know, dealing with different stuff.

And Dame Lillard.

That's part of the reason why is in the M V p conversations, because he kept them relevant in the top five for the most part over the course of the season.

But I think Utah has been playing amazing and get respect.

And I'll tell you why.

It's the uniforms color pattern.

Oh, come on.

Once they get new uniforms that you know a little more sexy to them.

I mean, I just I don't know that one of the I can't keep track has six uniforms right now, but isn't one of them a throwback to the Stockton Malone Younis, right?

Yeah, I didn't say Utah pants and I need to know issue.

I have no issue with your color patterns, and I just want to say recognition.

If they have better, you direct your mentions to Paul Pierce Pierce on Twitter, and I'm gonna say enough stuff to piss you guys off.

That wasn't me out of that.

And look, I will say this about Utah, too.

Sure, they didn't deal with that kind of stuff in the first half of the season, But we don't that's not saying that they will deal with it in the second half of the season.

Hopefully, things are only getting better in terms of covid in terms of herd immunity and people getting vaccinated and all of that as we go through the next few months.

And by the way, they have already played the toughest part of their schedule.

That's what's the most impressive is the thing you have to look at when you're protecting out what bodies, because it started in Utah.

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