Inside the PBSL

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Welcome to Inside the PBSL. I'm your host, Ernie Johnson. I'm here with Shaq, Kenny, and Chuck. We're going to be with you through the 2028 PBSL Playoffs. Before the first games get simmed tonight. We want to give a little preview and make some picks. Let's get things started with you, Shaq. Bucks-Celtics. You spent time in Milwaukee. Who you got?

Shaq: Ernest, this series is over before it starts and let me tell you why. The others. The others on the Celtics don't got it. Ayton's a stud. Ulis is the MVP but in the playoffs, everone's got stars. It comes down to the others and Rhett Baken isn't going to get the job done. Bucks in 5.

Ernie: Thanks, Shaq for that that *cough* surprising analysis. Kenny, what do you think about the Battle of Hogwarts? The Magic taking on the Wizards.

Kenny: I think this is a bad match-up for the Wizards. Boban has just been a force of nature all season and I don't see anyone on Washington's roster that really has a chance to stop him. On the other hand, Josh Jackson could give Damion Williams problems. I see the Magic taking this one in 7.

Ernie: Chuck, how about T-wolves-Pistons. What do you think? Is Anthony Davis going to steam roll these guys.

Chuck: Yeah, Ern, I think you're right. I know Anthony Davis is a little older. A lot of people are sayin' he's washed up but, look, Ern, this is an all-time great. This is the playoffs. This is the time of year when young guys like the Timberwolves get scared. You can see it in their eyes. And vets like AD turn it up a notch. Diallo, Porzingas, Sabonis, Degrimonpon, Digimon, Sherapova, and every other dude with an impossible last name on that Wolves squad are gonna get a wake up call from Anthony Davis.

Kenny: You didn't make a pick, Chuck.

Shaq: Yeah, Chuck, you gotta pick someone.

Chuck: I made my pick! I got the Pistons!

Ernie: In how many game?

Chuck: 6

Shaq: In 6? You're over their talking up Anthony Davis like it is 2022 and then you pick 6 games? That's weak, Chuck.

Ernie: Okay, we'll finish off with one for all of you. We'll start with Chuck. Sixers-Pelicans. Do the Pelicans have a chance.

Chuck: No they do not, Ernie. I don't care how deep the Pelicans are. No way their stopping Simmons, Fultz, and Uzi...

Shaq: Just make the pick, Chuck!

Ernie: Your pick please, Chuck.

Chuck: Sixers in 5

Ernie: Kenny?

Kenny: I'm going to take the Sixers in 4. Can't win without a point guard in this league.

Ernie: Shaq?

Shaq: I got the Pelicans in 6

*Laughter*

[kucoach7]

Ernie: With two games in the books, let's talk about the Alpha Conference. Kenny, what stuck out to you in the first couple games?

Kenny: To me, it's the lack of competitiveness. The home team has won every game. They say a series doesn't start until a road team wins a game. We have four series in the Alpha Conference that haven't started yet.

Ernie: Let's start with the series that is supposed to be the most evenly matched, the Nuggets and Blazers. Shaq, what do you see there?

Shaq: I'm particularly disappointed in Marvin Bagley. He didn't match up against Donald and still only put up 4 points in game two.

Chuck: That's just pathetic. Going against Boris Hailey, a 4 time champ but, man, Boris Hailey is old. No excuse for that. Just terible.

Kenny: There has been some great guard play in that series though. That is what always excites me when these two teams play. Ronald Small is just lighting up Denver but he needs help because Jerry West and Duren are keeping with him step for step.

Ernie: I may be biased but I also expected more fight from the Atlanta Hawks.

Chuck: Ern, the Hawks don't play defense, man. You ain't gonna win no playoff series giving up 125 points a game. You just can't do that and win this time of year.

Ernie: The Bulls are shooting over 55% from the field in the first two games. That's not good for the Hawks. Shaq, Houston-Heat. Rockets up 2-0. Can the Heat get back in this thing?

Shaq: Probably not, Ernie. The Heat are missing Booker right now. They only scored 75 points in game 2. Relying on a young guy like Grayson Allen on the road in the playoffs. That ain't gonna fly when it really counts.

Kenny: World B. Free going 1 for 9 for 2 points ain't gonna cut it either, Shaq.

Shaq: Very disappointing.

Ernie: That leaves us with Spurs-Kings. Do the Kings win a game in this series, guys?

Chuck: I think Nola is a great coach. He's going to make this series competitive. Sacramento fans are phenomenal. I bet they win the next two.

Kenny: Yeah, but Eazy is a great coach too, Chuck. Just count the rings. For whatever, reason the Kings haven't been themselves this year. They just don't have a lot of pop on offense and you need a lot of pop to keep up with the Spurs. I say Spurs in 5.

Chuck: I say Spurs in 6.

Shaq: I'm with Chuck. Erik Haynes is too good to be dismissed in 5 games. Guy flies under the radar but he's the defensive player of the year, first team all-league. Could be an MVP. He can get 'em two games.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: It's time for our first rendition of Gone Fishin' this playoffs. Shaq, lookin' good in the hat.

Shaq: I'm gonna a get a big one today, Ern. I can feel it!

Ernie: Tonight we bid fairwell to the Celtics. Bon Voyage to Bean Town.

Chuck: They just didn't have any answers for the Bucks without Julio De La Rosa. That makes me hungry for some good Mexican food. I hope we take the show to San Antonio again this year.

Ernie: Can never get enough of the river walk.

Shaq: Yeah. I could go for some flautas right about now. You know what they call me down in San Antone, don't you Chuck? El padrino negro.

Chuck: I have no idea what you just said but you're making it up.

Ernie: Speaking of San Antonio, they swept the Kings. A surprise for some of you. There we go Donovan Mitchell. That's a good lookin' fish.



Kenny: It wasn't a surprise to me. Not many teams in this league have any answers for the Spurs. Geb, Tatum, Vern, BDJ. It's just too much.

Chuck: I tell you who ain't got no answers. Eazy ain't got no answer for the tax man.

Shaq: He'll be looking for a loan. The bank of Shaq is always open, Eazy. Give me a call.

Ernie: You guys are struggling with talking about basketball tonight. Any thoughts on the Blazers-Nuggets?

Kenny: Yeah. I think this was the case where you had a team that was much better than their record in the Nuggets, with Jerry West playing only 29 games and a team that was much worse than their record in the Blazers.

Ernie: Portland was just a .500 team in the second half.

Shaq: Plus they were playing with out their starting forward, Karl-Anthony. You gotta feel for Small though. Another case of Portland wasting a superstar's prime. I've been there. Kenny, you've been there.

Kenny: Yeah, I've been there but Small's gotta show up at home.

Chuck: He had a terible game 3 and 4. Speaking of terible, I notice you haven't mentioned your Hawks, Ernie.

Ernie: Yes, I was getting to Atlanta. The Hawks go down to the Bulls in 4.

Kenny: They gave up 130 a game. No joke.

Shaq: Hard to win a game when you spot the other team 130.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Well, guys. That was quick. Not a single series in the first round goes 6 games. Thought?

Chuck: You know Ern, you gotta wonder if this was caused by the new divisions.

Kenny: Yeah, Chuck, I think you're spot on.

Chuck: These teams are operating on multiyear plans, thinking about the other teams in their division and conference, only choosing to compete when they think they have a chance. When you just mix up the league like they did this year, all of those carefully laid plans are out the window. Maybe we should mix things up like this more often.

Kenny: Yeah, Chuck, I mean, look at a team like the Timberwolves. They were sort of thrust into being a division leader. They weren't planning on that. All of the sudden, they're a three seed going against a far better 6 seed.

Shaq: I agree with Chuck too. Seeding was all screwed up this year.

Kenny: As you mentioned, the we say goodbye to the Timberwolves tonight. What about the Magic, guys. If I remember correctly, you guys were really high on them coming into the playoffs.

Shaq: Very simple, Ernest. This was about the others not showing up. David Meyer. Bronny. Those guys didn't show up. Boban was on his own out there.

Chuck: JJ didn't do Boban no favors either. 8 and 9 points in the final two games. Very disappointing.

Kenny: Any parting shots on the Pelicans and Heat.

Shaq: The Pelican's case is very simple. They just leaned too heavily on a couple of aging big men. Hopefully they can get some help for those guys in the offseason.

Kenny: I think the Heat's story is different but also simple. They just don't have THE GUY on their squad. Come playoff time you need that one guy that can go get you a bucket when it counts most. Maybe Grayson Allen will be that guy someday but right now he's not that guy.

Ernie: Any hot take predictions for the second round?

Chuck: I think we have two lopsided match-ups in the Omega and two great match-ups in the Alpha. The Spurs-Nuggets series will determine the Championship though. I think the Nuggets put up a fight, even with an injured West but the Spurs take it.

Shaq: I got a hot take. I say Anthony Davis upsets the Sixers in 6.

Ernie: You heard it here first.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Let's pick up where we left off. Shaq, what's goin' on with the Pistons.

Shaq: Ernest, what I see with Detroit is AD is dominating, exactly like I said he would, but they're getting killed on the perimeter.

Kenny: They can't make a three.

Chuck: You know, I think the difference maker here is Ben Simmons. Fultz is great but so is Keitt. Simmons is just steam rolling Palmer and Pastor. He's just too big and too athletic for those guys.

Ernie: He is too big and too athletic for most people. Chuck, you predicted a close series between Denver and San Antonio. That looks like it might be one of the few predictions on this show to actually be right.

Chuck: You gotta hand it to the Denver, to the Nugs, the Denver Nuggets. They could be whinin', makin' excuses because Jerry West keeps getting injured. But they went out there and got a gutsy win in San Antonio and stole home court advantage.

Kenny: Yeah, I think their poise and guts are admirable. They've gotta try to extend this series to get West back and hopefully upset the defending champs as a nice parting gift for one of the best GMs the league has seen.

Ernie: Meanwhile the Bulls take a commanding lead over the Rockets. What's been the difference there, Shaq.

Shaq: Ern, this is all about the others. These are two deep teams. The Bulls have Silva, Wiggins, Haugh but Edmunds, Hill, and Brown have shown up big. For Houston, guys like Treat and Garden are going to have to step up their games. They're going home now, though, so you can expect the others for the Rockets to step up their game.

Chuck: I think we should go down to Houston too, Ern. I still want some tacos.

Shaq: Love me some Torchy's. You like that stuff, Chuck.

Chuck: Oh yeah. Wanna get me some nookies.

Ernie: I'm not sure what you two are talking about but I think we better move on to the final series. Any thoughts on the Bucks-Wizards.

Kenny: This series looks pretty one-sided to me. Again, two really deep teams. But the Bucks are much more complete team. The Wiz ask a lot of Damion Williams but Bucks have a number of guys that can get the job done and as we get deeper in the playoffs, that starts to matter more and more.

[TheSyndicate]

+1 for Torchy's. I think Ernie still holds the record for cookie balls in a sitting, right?

[garbageman]

Just FYI, I've been thoroughly enjoying that this is an ongoing piece.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Welcome back to Inside the PBSL, home of Shaq, world champion nookie eater. I've been informed that nookies are balls of deep fried cookie dough. For a while last episode I thought Chuck and Shaq were talking dirty.

Shaq: We'd never do that to you Ernest.

Chuck: On the air...

Ernie: The Spurs-Nuggets series is all knotted up. Kenny, what's going to make the difference?

Kenny: This feels like a cop out but the difference is going to be Jerry West. He is now listed at day-to-day so he can come back any time. With the Nuggets leadership departing after this series, I think the temptation to bring him back as soon as possible to help with one last run is going to be strong.

Chuck: But Kenny, if they bring him back now and he gets injured again, then you don't have him in the conference finals or the finals. I say the should wait.

Shaq: I'm with Chuck on this one. They need to be patient. They've held their own this series so far. They should trust the guys they have.

Kenny: I just think that Gebhart and BDJ are too much. They need West desperately and I think they'll get him back for game 5 in San Antonio.

Shaq: You know they got Torchy's in San Antonio and Denver now, right.

Chuck: I like the way you think, Shaq.

Ernie: Chuck, what do you think about the Rockets-Bulls series. Is it over?

Chuck: Yeah, it is, Ern. The Bulls fell down 3-0, they're a little banged up. They're going back to Chicago. It's going to be 1-2-3

Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny together: CANCUN!

Ernie: Shaq, the Pistons staved off elimination in game 4 as well. What went right for them in that game.

Shaq: Ernie, this was all about the others. Anthony Davis had his worst game of the series but they won because O'Connor stepped up and hung 40.

Kenny: I don't know if O'Connor counts as an other. He was an All-star this year and led the team in scoring.

Shaq: OTHERS!!!!

Ernie: The Wizards won in game 3. Can they get back in this series.

Chuck: No way, Ern. They won on a buzzer beater. They were a inch or two from getting swept.

Shaq: That was a lucky bounce.

Kenny: JR was huge in that game, though.

Shaq: It can't just be JR, Kenny. THe...

Kenny: I know. The others have to step up.

Shaq: THE OTHERSSSSS!!!!

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Welcome to another edition of gone fishin'. Tonight we bid farewell to the Wizards from our nation's capital.



Ernie: Also, much to Shaq's chagrin, Anthony Davis and the Pistons are heading home.

Shaq: Better luck next year to my man AD!



Ernie: The Houston Rockets are also heading out on vacation.



Kenny: Rockets got beat by 35 in game 5. Wasn't pretty.

Charles: Like I said, guys. 1-2-3

All together: CANCUN!

Ernie: Al Horford looks a little disappointed in that picture. Okay, guys. We have one conference semi final that will head to game seven. Let's break it down. Who is moving on to the conference finals, the Nuggets or the Spurs.

Kenny: This has been a great series, Ernie. The two best teams in the league over the past few years just going all out. I've got to go with the Nuggets. They took the middle road with West, having him come off the bench in limited minutes but he's looking pretty much healthy at this point so expect him to play a bigger part.

Ernie: In game 6 Jerry West was plus 2 in 10 minutes and his replacement Scott Ramos was negative 4 in 36 minutes.

Kenny: And I think those minute totals will essentially swap for game 7 and it will be the difference for the Nuggets.

Shaq: I was really disappointed with how Lecroix played and how he was used. Only 22 minutes but he didn't play well in those minutes either. I think if the Nuggets want to win this series, they are going to need more minutes from him and he's going to have to step up his game.

Ernie: That may have something to do with the wings he's having to go against.

Charles: Gebhart, Bower, and Tatum. That's just brutal. Look. I'm with Kenny on this one. The Nuggets were one shot away from winning game 6. They won game 5 in San Antonio. With West picking up more minutes, the Nuggets are going to win.

Shaq: I think the Spurs win this one and go on to repeat. The Nuggets just can't handle Desantis.

Ernie: Desantis is averaging about 10 points a game.

Shaq: And about 4 blocks and 11 rebounds, Ern. Big men can affect the game in so many ways.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Well, we're down to just four teams. Let's talk about how the Spurs got here and what their chances of repeating are.

Kenny: Well, Ernie, they got here by overwhelming the Nuggets in game 7. Jason Tatum was unstoppable. They took 26 fewer field goals but shot 26 more free throws.

Charles: Yeah, Aaron Donald was great on the offensive end but committed too many fouls. Like we said last time, the Spurs just run out a relentless lineup of wings and not many teams can handle them.

Ernie: Can the Bulls handle them?

Charles: I don't know but I'll tell you one thing, they are going to have to be very careful about how they play Jaylen Brown in this series. He is going to be a huge defensive liability against the Spurs wings.

Kenny: Problem is, Edmunds is prone to foul trouble, which is a huge problem against Tatum.

Shaq: Wiggins ain't what he used to be but he's still got it. Plus, Silva could cause big problems for Low. I like the Bulls chances. I say Bulls in 6.

Chuck: I guarantee the Spurs win this one. GUAR-AN-TEE!

Kenny: I think the Spurs win, probably in 5.

Ernie: In the other conference we have a match-up of two old foes, Ballsohard and Iamquailman. Who do you guys like in this one.

Shaq: I like the Sixers in this one. I think Simmons and Azu are too big and strong for the Bucks big men. I think the Sixers bull doze their way to victory.

Kenny: I also like the Sixers but for different reasons. The Bucks are a little light on perimeter defense and and Markelle Fultz is going to carve them up. He should be able to get the shots he wants or set up those bigs Shaq talked about down low. I'll take Sixers in 6.

Charles: I like the toughness of the Sixers as well. I think they win this one. Defense wins championships, even if its only the conference championship.

Shaq: Which is more than you ever won.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: The results for the first couple of games of the conference finals are in and, as usual, you guys are wrong.

Chuck: We're only wrong about the Bucks, Ernie. Except for Shaq, he's wrong about everything.

Ernie: Talk to me about the Bucks. What did you guys miss?

Chuck: We missed one thing and one thing only, Ernie, and that is that Aubrey Broomfield is a man.

Shaq: He's a man that is giving Ben Simmons everything he can handle. It's like I always say, guys. The playoffs always come down to the others. Who wins this series won't be determined by Fultz, Simmons, Paugh, Joffrey. Playoff series are won in the trenches by guys like Aubrey Broomfield.

Kenny: Yeah, I mean, guys like Broom are easy to overlook. They do a lot of things well, nothing great. But they are glue guys. They give you what you need when you need it and right now Aubrey is plus 21 in 32 minutes and Ben Simmons is shooting 12 for 45 from the field. Fox has done a great job coming off the bench, but that is after Broom has softened up Simmons with some body blows.

Charles: Look for Simmons to get more time at the 4 moving forward in this series.

Ernie: Okay. On the other hand, two of you saw this 2-0 lead for the Spurs coming. Was it luck or has it played out like you predicted.

Kenny: It is pretty much as predicted, Ernie. The Spurs put up a 32 point victor in game two.

Charles: Just embarrassed them.

Kenny: Tatum is 26 for 35 on the series. Jaylen Brown is averaging 9 points and four fouls a game in 18 minutes a game.

Ernie: But with a positive plus/minus.

Charles: That's just garbage time Ernie.

Kenny: Gebhart is 20 for 37 with a monster game 1.

Ernie: Shaq, you were optimistic about the Bulls' chances. What's gone wrong.

Shaq: Silva hasn't been able to get it going against Low. The Bulls aren't taking care of the boards. This does not bode well for them but they are heading back to Chicago so maybe the home crowd can give these guys a boost.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Well, Shaq, the Bulls got back into this series. What did they do to turn things around at home.

Shaq: Ernest, they did exactly what I said they needed to do from the start. Silva started asserting himself down low and put the team on his back in game 4. Wiggins used his size advantage over Gebhart to have a big game 3 and just like that the Bulls tied up the series.

Kenny: Yeah, sometimes you just can't stop a guy. Tatum is still playing phenomenally. Edmunds and Jaylen Brown are still struggling. So what you do is you fight fire with fire and you say, "Okay, you guys got some big guns, we respect that, but we got some of our own."

Ernie: Okay, so while we have a fire fight out in the Alpha conference, the Omega conference is a bit of a beat down.

Charles: Yeah, Ernie, the Sixers have been very disappointing. No doubt about it. They had 45 seconds to try to make a shot at the end of game 3 and they missed two attempts in those 45 seconds. This is a series where depth is just killing the star-studded Sixers. The Sixers stars are getting there's, especially since Simmons started running the point but the Bucks bench units are just killin' the Sixers.

Kenny: Yeah, look at game three. The three Sixers stars combine for 87 points but the Bucks have 9 guys in double figures. Pretty hard to win a game when just about every guy who gets on the floor gets 10.

Shaq: An Joe Oday gets 12 in 7 minutes.

Chuck: Shout out to Joe O. He is an underrated player. He's been terrific for the Bucks all year. Gets no love. But when the coach calls his name in the conference finals, he's ready.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Tonight we say goodbye to the Philadelphia 76ers. They were heavily favored by our crew here going into the series. What went wrong?

Shaq: I didn't like the move for Simmons to point. I think they should have moved him down low like they did earlier in the playoffs. He can facilitate inside out in a way that few other players in the league can. I think they should have taken advantage of that and kept Fultz as the primary ball handler in the back court.

Charles: Fultz did not show up for game 5. I don't know if he was ill or if he had already booked his flight to Cancun but he was not all there.

Kenny: You know, in the playoffs, we often talk about depth not mattering as much in the playoffs but this was a series where the Bucks just wore the Sixers into the ground with rotation players.

Charles: We talked last time about, whats his name? Joe Oday.

Shaq: He's supposed to be your dude, Chuck.

Charles: I know, he is my guy. I just forgot. In game 5 it was Alex Sargeant

Kenny: Alec.

Charles: I'm sorry, Alec Sargeant. 8 points, 4 rebounds in 11 minutes.

Kenny: I've come around to the Bucks. I think they might have a chance in the finals.

Ernie: Before we get too ahead of ourselves, we still have a conference finals going on! Game 7, Bulls-Spurs. How did we get here and who is going to advance to the finals?

Shaq: We got here because Silva asserted himself at home once again in game 6. 41 points and 14 rebounds with 5 blocks. That's a man's game right there.

Charles: Yeah, I think that Silva has been great. It has been a revenge series for him, going up against the team that drafted him and traded him away for the guy he is going up against right now. It has been great to watch.

Kenny: But, as the saying goes, a playoff series doesn't really start until a road team wins a game. In this series, the home team has won every game. The Bulls have played great but if they want to really make this a series, they're going to have to dig deep and figure out some way to win one on the road.

Ernie: Do they have a chance:

Kenny: Of course they have a chance but I don't think it is likely.

Charles: My money is on the Spurs. Jayson Tatum is going to have a big game 7 like he did against the Nuggets. He had an off game in game 6. I think he bounces back.

Shaq: My money is on Chicago. I think Silva figures is out on the road and sends the Bulls to the finals.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Well, guys, Kenny and Charles were right on the money with their game 7 predictions. The home team won. The Spurs wings came up big. I think the big question for the finals is will it even be a series. So far we have played 14 series and only 2 have made it to game 6.

Shaq: Yeah but both of those had the Spurs in them and the Spurs are still in this thing.

Ernie: These guys do seem to have a flare for the dramatic.

Kenny: Honestly, they just had the toughest path to the finals. The Nuggets in the second round is a brutal draw for a first seed and obviously the Bulls gave them everything they could handle. The Bucks, on the other hand, have lost 2 games in 3 series.

Charles: Yeah, they really haven't been challenged yet and you can be sure the Spurs are going to challenge them. San Antonio ain't no cake walk like them Omega teams.

Ernie: So what is going to happen in this series?

Shaq: I say to keep an eye on Knecht. Low struggled with Silva on the road. I suspect we could see the same problem with Knecht.

Kenny: My eyes are on the match up of wings. They both have a good rotation of wings. I still think the Spurs win but it may take them 7 games again.

Charles: I think it is a terrific match up. The Spurs have shown they are human time and time again in the playoffs. I'm going with Kenny in this one. Spurs in 7.

Shaq: Me too, guys. I played for Quailman. I know he can coach. I think he finds a way to stay in this series but the Spurs take it in 7.

[kucoach7]

Ernie: Well, you guys predicted a tight series and so far, it looks like you are (amazingly) right!

Charles: I don't know, Ern. The Bucks stole game one on a desperation 3 by Andre freaking Betts. That's luck.

Shaq: Yeah, but Chuck, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, especially in the postseason. All champions need a little luck and the Bucks just got a lot of luck in game one.

Kenny: I just can't say enough about Aubrey Broom field. You check the numbers and the guy is -31 over two games but I'll tell you guys something, the numbers can lie and this is an instance where they aren't capturing the impact he is having on this series.

Shaq: You don't have to tell me the numbers lie, Kenny.

Charles: He has really done an phenomenal job on Tatum. Tatum is averaging 18 points a game in the first two games. That is a huge win for Bucks.

Kenny: He absorbs though Tatum minutes and that frees up De'Aaron Fox to feast on the Spurs bench.

Shaq: I'll say one thing, guys. This Spurs bench has shown a lot more heart and poise than the Sixers bench did. They aren't giving an inch to the depth of the Bucks.

Charles: Yeah, last series we were talking about Oday and Seargant putting up big numbers in relatively few minutes but this series, they've been held in check. Kudos to the Spurs bench players.

Shaq: But now the series heads to Milwaukee, the others will get a true test.

[IamQuailman]

Awe no closure.... BUT THAT SAID great work man this was fantastic. 9 points (most i can give you since that puts you at the cap) I didn't even count the words.