Chapter 1: What are the latest updates on Jokic's injury?
The Bill Simmons Podcast brought to you by the Ringer Podcast Network, where I put up a new Rewatchables on Monday night. It was a special episode, me and Chris Ryan and Sean Fantasy. I made a list of my 50 most rewatchable movies of the 21st century. So from 20... 2001 all the way through this year. The movies I'd watched the most, the movies that I just thought were the most rewatchable.
I had a little goofy criteria and I just bounced the list of CR and Sean who were horrified. They were delighted. They were confused. It was a very fun podcast. So if you like the rewatchables, I would highly recommend that one. I would also recommend the Music Box series, season two, wrapping up On HBO, on HBO Max, we had our last one that ran. It was called Happy and You Know It.
It's about the wacky world of kids' music, which is really something.
Chapter 2: How have the Clippers turned their season around?
It's directed by Penny Lane, who did our Kenny G documentary that everybody loved a couple years ago. So we've done Jeff Buckley, Wizkid, County Crows, and then kids' music's the last one. You can find all of them on HBO Max. Super easy to queue up. I could do a long monologue about why Drake May is the MVP, but maybe I'll save that for Thursday so Joe House can make fun of me.
But as you're debating this over the next couple of days, just remember that Drake May has run for 400 plus yards and 35 TDs on top of everything else he's done and all the advanced metrics and the fact that there could be a one or a two or worst case scenario, a three seed and Matt Stafford is going to be a six seed.
Not to sound like a Pats homer, but I just can't believe after last night that Drake May is not the prohibitive favorite. I guess he's like minus 350 on FanDuel, but come on. What are we doing? Sorry, Drake May's schedule wasn't quite tough enough. Are you the MVP or the MVP? Coming up next, Rob Mahoney is going to join me.
We're going to talk a little NBA stuff at the top, like Joker getting injured. A little topical stuff, but we're really going to go right into an NBA mailbag. I had a bunch of really good questions from everybody.
Chapter 3: What insights do we gain from the NBA holiday mailbag?
As always, you can send me an email at bspodcast33 at gmail.com. So Rob's coming up. We're going to do a mailbag and it's going to keep going and going. A couple of really good questions in there. So stay tuned for that. We're going to bring in Pearl Jam right after we take this break. This episode of the Bill Simmons podcast is presented by State Farm.
Having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like expecting a linebacker on the football field, but getting a line cook. Sure, they both can handle the pressure when it starts heating up, but only one is stopping a touchdown. You wouldn't settle for just anything for your team, so don't settle for just any insurance when it comes to getting help you need. State Farm is the real deal.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. All right, Rob Mahoney is here. We are taping this Tuesday early afternoon Pacific time.
Chapter 4: What makes Jokic a unique player in the NBA?
There are some NBA games tonight. So if anything that gets mentioned over the next hour plus, if it becomes seemingly stupid about 10 hours from now, don't blame us.
That could be the only reason, you know?
Yeah, we're never going to be stupid ever. We're going to do a mailbag. You have no idea what questions are coming. I want to hit some topical stuff really soon. First, Joker gets hurt. I, it's pretty sad. I feel like I'm a internet doctor guy. But when I saw it, I'm like, looks like a hyperextension. We're fine. Like I didn't really totally panic, but you just never know with the ACL.
I did realize he's my number one, oh no, so-and-so got hurt guy in any sport who's not a Boston guy. Just the most upset I could possibly be for a non-Boston guy potentially being injured.
Chapter 5: How does the MVP race look this season?
I was like, I went through the death spiral of, oh my God, no more league pass with the Joker. No more playoffs with the Joker. I don't get the random nights where he might put a 50, 15, 17 up. And I just got really sad. I just couldn't, I didn't realize how much he meant to me, Rob.
I mean, this time of year, there's always a little despair in the air. You know, we've gotten through the thick of the holidays. We're rounding the corner into New Year's. But I agree with you. Losing him as a league pass entity, losing him as it seemed like he was kind of stampeding maybe into the forefront of the MVP race with how well he's played lately. Yeah.
Plus the Nuggets, despite all their other injuries, seemed like they were going to be competing for the title. And I assume still will when he comes back. But yeah, they've just been. getting absolutely smacked with this stuff.
Chapter 6: What factors influence team dynamics in the NBA?
And he and Jamal Murray were already doing about as much as two humans in their positions could reasonably be asked to do. And yet, now I guess it's just Jamal Murray and Jonas Valanciunas. Congratulations, Jonas Valanciunas. You now have to carry the Denver Nuggets.
Oh my God. I am excited for his little renaissance that we're going to have here. So they're 22-10 heading into tonight's game. They're the three seed. Houston's 20-10, LA's 20-10, and Minnesota's 19-11. Realistically, if he misses, let's say, They said four weeks. Maybe that's five. Let's say he misses 16 games and let's say they get smacked in those games.
We're going to actually find out how truly valuable he is. And we already know the answer.
Chapter 7: What are the implications of tanking in the NBA?
So let's say they go five and 11. I think they could fall as low as six and they're fine. I don't want to see any part of the playing game. I don't need the extra miles. So I think they stay in the top six. I think his MVP case gets hurt. because now his games will be in the mid-60s, and that's going to be a little tough to compete against Shea.
The biggest thing to me out of all of this is that it feels like the Spurs now could get a death grip on the two-seed. Yeah. And I think that matters because after we get past the six, and even I'm including the Lakers in the six, a team I don't even really like, but once you get in that 7, 8, 9, 10, that's gonna be a relatively easy first round series.
Phoenix will be frisky if they're in there, but is there a 7, 8, 9, 10 team you'd be afraid of in a 2-7?
Not particularly. I would say Phoenix is the team that as you were kind of penciling in the top six and whether Denver is going to be safe there. Denver's lead on the Suns is not so solid. I would feel great about them not being in that mix when Jokic comes back.
Chapter 8: How does the discussion around All-Star selections unfold?
So I think it's completely in the cards that the Suns could catch up and worm their way into the top six during this stretch. You would think when Jokic comes back, the ship gets right at a bit. But you're right. It does throw everything for a loop a little bit. It's going to mess up the standings. I mean, forget the MVP part of that conversation as far as Jokic gaining ground or losing ground.
He just might not be eligible by the time he comes back for the award at all. And so the conversation might be functionally over. It's such a loss to miss out on all of that stuff amid everything else going on in the NBA. The Nuggets have been one of the most enjoyable teams, one of the most enjoyable stories. As you said, Jokic, just a joy to watch. And now we don't get that.
Yeah, and especially coming off the Christmas night game, which was one of his opuses. Good Lord. Just an all-timer. Here's with Phoenix. Listen, they've been a great story. They've certainly surprised me. I thought that their over-under was 31. I thought they'd go under. Their schedule is about to ramp up. They really haven't had to go to the East, I don't think, at all.
I'm not even positive they played an Eastern Conference team on the road yet. So we'll see in January when they get through. They have Miami, Detroit, New York, Brooklyn, Philly, Atlanta all in a row in mid-January. They basically play all of the good East teams in January. So we'll have, I think, a little bit better feel. So anyway, the Spurs... being able to potentially lock down a two seed.
I thought they were going to be good. I did not have that one on my bingo card. Quick other stuff before we get to the mailbag. Kawhi, since I disparaged the Clippers last week and said they were beyond hope, there was no fix. Kawhi was like, actually, there's one fix. What if I turned into Kawhi Leonard again?
uh was not expecting that i don't know if you saw any of what he did to detroit on saturday but it was out of control and really kind of made me rethink detroit which i want to get to in a second i'm going to take this game to game i'm not going to say we've turned the corner with the clippers But they are like 100 to one to win the division. And I don't think it can be ruled out.
They're like 10 games back. That division's so wonky. I don't trust a single team in that division. So I was like, all right, what if Kawhi just is healthy the rest of the year? Maybe. But I would kind of bet against the opposite. What do you think?
Yeah, I take your point. I mean, betting the Clippers 100 to one to win anything is some real sicko shit. And I salute you for it. But look, it's been nice just to have a pulse for that team. And if it has to be Kawhi defibrillating 55 points into them in order to get the team breathing again, so be it. That's wonderful.
I'm with you that that's not exactly the kind of thing that can be easily just repeated over and over and over. The good news is, I mean, they're on a nice little winning streak right now, and he's doing that sometimes, but they're also still missing guys. They've still been shorthanded, and they're figuring it out in ways that they just weren't a month ago. And so...
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