Breaking down all five games of the NBA Christmas Day extravaganza

Breaking down all five games of the NBA Christmas Day extravaganza

Christmas Day always a fun time for NBA fans the holiday brings us five Marquee Hoops matchups including the nickers in action we’re going to preview the Christmas Day games with a host on CBS Sports Radio as well as serus XM NBA Radio David Shepard Dave what’s up man

Dexter is great to be with you in here in person finally the lighting I know we’re not going to have any problems anymore I know we’ve done so many of these remote we’ve taught so much about the NBA remote and when I’m ever doing updates on your show which is amazing

That people should check out CBS Sports radio um it’s good you’re one of my favorite people to talk Hoops with so likewise man yeah look I love we both love the NBA we do love these Christmas Day games I feel like we got a pretty good slate this year um are you excited

For these games I I am excited for these games uh we got a little preview of that earlier on Saturday we did um and so we know what’s then going to happen in that first oh is that where we’re going oh that’s where we’re going but I feel like

You’re you’re already out here trying to make the Knicks fans angry I’m not trying to make take the fans in any kind of a way I’m just trying to speak the truth all right so let’s let’s get into that since since Dave is going to speak truth let’s let’s get ready and nothing

But the truth nothing but the truth we’re going to start off with the Knicks they have a Mata tip off on Christmas Day hosting the Bucks David just alluded to the fact that on Saturday they played and the bucks for the third time this season uh handled the Knicks pretty

Easily right ow and three the Knicks are against the Bucks what intrigues you the most about this Eastern Conference battle between the Knicks and the Bucks where it seems to be disparity between the two teams right now so whenever Milwaukee plays the obvious answers are Yannis San Tumo and Damen lard right two

Of the top 75 players of all time I’m at I’m about crazy eyes I’m about the mayor I’m about Bobby poris and if New York fans weren’t accustom to seeing Bobby at MSG a 23 spot on Saturday certainly introduced him to the New York faithful and this is a guy that outscored the

Knicks bench which by the way had nine players on Saturday because they got their asses kicked by the Milwaukee bu and so I’m interested to see what the Bucks bench can do with Bobby poris and Pat hon that bench is so deep and they’re veteran heavy and so we know the

Superstars are going to show up uh I’m looking forward to seeing Milwaukee continue to shine now aside from that crazy playin scenario they are 9 and0 in the month of December and meanwhile the New York Knicks and we talked about this before Dexter Henry uh they have a semi

Big three the problem is only one of them gets better that is H Jaylen Brunson Julius Randall and I’m looking at you Julius Randle Dexter told me to look at this camera if I have a message for you so that’s exactly what I’m going to do Julius Randle can we improve the

Decision-making we’ve been in the NBA for almost a decade and we continue to scratch our heads with the shot selection and the Aaron passing get with it my man wait wait wait wa wait he had a good game he had a good game Saturday he’s been all right the last couple he’s

Been playing the best some of the best basketball’s career wait wait wait wait a minute wait a minute you were a New Yorker Dexter hen I am did I say about Patrick Ying’s Legacy I want him to be all right did I say about the late great

Willis Reed I want him to be all right did I say about the king New York Bernard I want him to be all right I’m not looking for all right I’m looking for at least great at least great hey he I’m just saying he’s been playing better

Lately you you were fired up here’s are you giving you any chance in this game listen I I I know you work 24/7 I I’m I’m guessing you caught a glimpse of that game I did okay how many assists did Julius Randall have cuz that guy’s supposed to be your facilitator as well

At the point forward position he he’s all right in that I think his his decision making could be better he’s had some turnovers have one assist if you’re going against the Milwaukee Bucks and expect to win come on Julius so you’re not so you’re what you’re saying is

You’re not expecting them to win on CH not on their best day they ain’t beat Milwaukee see play milwauke MSG it don’t matter I told you you’re out here trying to make the Nick fans mad here’s butex just very quickly saying like when it comes to the Knicks we all know this

Everybody knows this the fs New York Sports they’re missing that key Superstar they’re always look with with with tips I’ll give them credit they overachieved last year in the playoffs they may overachieve this year in the playoffs if they gave the right matchup Cleveland Cavaliers are a great match up

For the New York Knicks D Mitchell seems to be wanting to be in New York more than he does Cleveland that helps but the New York Knicks are never going to get past the elite they’re never going to get past the 76ers or the Bucks they’re never going to get past the

Celtics we know this you’re saying never just to be clear never is currently constructed we will see how that changes we know they’re not there yeah at that level because they get Superstars left and right these days see Espeon see you came here choosing violence that’s what happened you came here and chose

Violence all right let’s talk about the second game cuz that features the defending Champion Denver Nuggets hosting the Golden State Warriors now look Golden State Rocky times this season but they’ve been playing a little bit better of basketball lately while Denver come on they’re in cruise control

With Nicole yok playing at a high level do you look at this as a big spot for the Warriors to show that they are not done cuz some people have already started putting dirt on the grave of the Warriors that they’re not done and they can contend with the Western Conference

Elite well I’m sorry I’m sorry to make such a bath on Face the way you’re facing you when when they gave that contract to Draymond Green it’s a 4year $160 million contract and they elected to you know put their future in Washington and Jordan pool that’s when

Everyone rightfully so dug dirt on the Warriors um yes Steph Curry is still the best non ball mover we have in the NBA uh he’s a mismatch for anybody now you saw what he did against the Celtics when he was playing the likes of Drew holiday Drew Holiday In Our Generation might be

The best on ball Defender but there is nothing to combat Steph Curry moving without the ball that’s all well and good the NBA is about mismatches but the ultimate mismatch and you alluded to is the point Center in Nicola yic they got no answer for him they have no answer

For Jamal Murray who’s looking like bubble Jamal who’s looking like 2023 NBA Finals Jamal and so the nuggets have too many pieces now it could be a statement for the Warriors sure here’s the problem November 3rd why that date is important that’s the last Road wi they have had

Against the winning team I like how you brought in Rocky there because that happens to be the uh Broncos mascot uh apparently they don’t get the memo of Champions the way that the nuggets have as of late sorry that’s a shot of Russell wil he’s getting buried enough

These you just out here taking shots at everybody man Russell makes it EAS it’s Christmas y here being yall here being the Grinch it’s Christmas I’m a truth teller I’m a truth teller see here’s the thing um under sell overd deliver un understood understood all right game

Three now this game delivers what some may consider the greatest rivalry in NBA history as a Celtics visit the Lakers Boston you notied they’ve been a top of the east from most of the Season while Los Angeles we saw them win the inseason tournament but since then they have not

Played well since capturing the NBA cup what are you going to keep your eyes on in this iconic match up between the Celtics and Lakers on Christmas day so I got a quick question for you this is not a neutral site championship game no this

Is not that game no okay so then I’m not looking forward to Anthony Davis to that in that case oh you’re saying he will not show up on Christmas well the only times he shows up is when it’s neutral sighting and when the stakes are high that’s when we see the best Anthony

Davis shout out to his 4020 performance and yeah excuse me which which fan B are you not trying to annoy here today it’s Christmas man sorry I’ll be a little more benevolent and benign here so so Dexter so what I’m most fascinated about um we know Jason Tatum is great we know

Jaylen Brown is great unless he’s turning the ball over eight times and butter fingers I’m being a little too harsh right now what I like from the Boston Celtics what I’m fascinated by is the Improvement of Derek white obviously Marcus Smart is a fan favorite for

Boston he was the heart and soul of that team and it was hard for a lot of Celtics fans to see him go to Memphis but Derek White has inserted himself into the starting lineup he is a better scorer than Marcus Smart he’s even a better facilitator so that’s the matchup

I want to see Derek white versus D’Angelo Russell D’Angelo Russell coming in with the All-Star reputation he’s too inconsistent and obviously when you were talking Celtic Lakers it is if not the greatest rivalry in all of professional sports in the history of professional sports at least in North America it is

One of you have to talk about the guy in year 21 LeBron James who looks like he can literally play for another 21 years and at this level so I’m fascinated in a whole lot of areas but more specifically an unsung hero that a lot of people

Don’t talk about nationally and that is Derek white I like that I like Derek white as a player to watch he was a fantastic two-way player and has been really key in the Celtics success earlier on the season all right let’s go back to a East Coast match up we’re

Going to take it back East we’re going to go to down the South Beach where the heat they’re going to host the Sixers Joel embiid he’s been playing at an MVP level again people look like they have no answers for this man well Miami they’re doing Miami Heat stuff lurking

Around the top six spot in the East who is more to prove in this Christmas Day matchup is it the Sixers or was it the heat so Jimmy Butler has been to two NBA Finals right uh they’re going to retire his number in South Beach shout out to

Udonis Hassam by the way they’re going to retire his never soon that was just announced so Jimmy Butler has nothing to prove he has already overachieved because if you look at what he has around him Ben atabo who can’t make a basket outside of 7 feet has been his

Second best player so that he’d have overachieved in the Jimmy Butler era they got nothing to prove it’s the Joel embiid guy you refer to it’s the guy that is not just the raing MVP but a two-time scoring champion going on number three averaging over 35 points

Per game this season by the way his career scoring average there’s two guys in the history of this sport to score more points per game MJ you might have heard of him and wil the stilt underrated by the way guy has the autobiography of the NBA and so with

That being said for you to play in the NBA for as long as he has remember he came in in 2014 for for him to have never made a Conference Finals Dexter Trey young made a Conference Finals and Jo ell embiid has not made a Conference

Finals so yes it’s a regular season game on Christmas but if you are Joel embiid you have to answer a lot of questions now now the onus is really on you because who’s out of Philly right now it’s the guy that wears a beard better than you and me and that’s saying

Something that’s James Harden Tyrese Maxi has stepped in nicely so now all the expectations fall on the 7ot broad shoulders of Joel embiid by the way I got got a message for Philly fans I expect really really good things because you got Nick Nur Doc Rivers belongs in

The booth and finally we actually hear what he sounds like it’s not the horse voice anymore W everybody’s catching Trey young caught some Strays here everybody’s catching everybody can get it with you Dexter Trey young if we want to go there for a second based on what

This cat did his second year to what he is now doing in year number five M has he been a little bit of a disappoint oh there’s no doubt about that no I’m just I’m also just saying out here sending tray I gave D I gave Derrick White you

Did give Derrick White some love you did we didn’t we wer going to talk Marcus Smart I gave him some love the guy’s playing in Memphis the only we talk about Memphis these days because of John Moran I’m I’m not say I’m not saying you’re being a grinch I’m just saying

You’ve been a little grinch-like by the way speaking of Memphis Nick Miss and Dereck rose right now yeah they are they they they definitely are all right can I give a quick message to tibs I’ll make a five you have a me what who do you not

Have a message should play derck Rose more I know Taj Gibson is on stint 19 with you you could have played rose Moore in stint number three that’s all I got he’s got a message for everybody okay last game night cat showcases two teams and I’m here for this that do not

Like each other at all they got some playoff history as a Mavericks they’re visiting the sun right Suns excuse me now Dave this seems like a matchup of two squads who we don’t really know exactly how good they are because either team hasn’t really been whole so I got to ask

You this with both these teams facing off do you like either of these teams to be contenders in the west and who do you like in this matchup on Christmas day so we’ll start big picture um Bradley Beal he’s a wonderful scorer let’s start with the Positive here’s the reality can’t

Stay healthy hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the past few years and so what we’re seeing Dexter is the same thing we saw last year with that Sun’s team it’s a two-man team with Durant and Booker and it’s not enough when you go against a real team like the Denver

Nuggets so you’re they’re good enough with those two guys to win you around they’re not going to be able to compete against the elite because you cannot rely on Brad Bry be by the way what Kevin Durant is doing it should be year 17 but remember he sat out that year for

Injury after the finals it’s year 16 it’s phenomenal not being talked about enough so they’re not going to contend this year now Dallas is interesting because they’re not playing Lucas’s turn Kyrie’s turn Lucas’s turn Kyrie’s turn anymore they have balance they got Tim Hardaway Jr they got Dante exm where did

That cat come from I remember the days when he was with utai he’s been out of the NBA for a couple years he has now proven why he was so special and sought out back in 2014 when he was drafted so high so they have depth that they have

Not had before with Luca and Kyrie so the maps can contend if Jason kid is not beefing with reporters after games of course uh who I like in this game suns are playing at home I like how you said Son in that introduction because they play really well under the bright lights

In Phoenix especially with KD he ain’t losing on Christmas he’s going to lose in the playoffs but they’re not going to lose on Christmas all right you’re going with the Suns on Christmas that was a pretty good answer there wasn’t too many Strays too many shots fired in that one

It might it might be too istic right now and critical I I get that Vibe and I’m not that way is a little bit of grin scrooges Vibes that’s all I’m saying on Christmas a little bit just a little bit I was born in February 1987 okay I’m a

Knicks fan okay I got 94 thank you John Starks and then I got 99 we losing five I have a reason to be a little bit Grinchy when it comes to New York Sports and it’s not like the Yankees have had a lot of success since

2009 now we have the Astros to thank for that too yeah but you know what you could be happy about what the Mets no the Jets you get my point it’s Christmas we got basketball it’s good vibes you were here with me we got to preview these games let tell you something man

It’s all good let me tell you something that to me is Christmas in itself there we go I appreciate that that is David Shepard checking out the host on CBS Sports Radio also on Sirius XM NBA Radio this is a person I love to talk NBA Hoops with Dave appreciate you stopping

By and Merry Christmas to you and enjoy the games thank you so much for having me Dexter merry mer Christmas to you and next time it’ll be more positive there we go there we go thank you Dave appreciate you

Host on CBS Sports Radio and Sirius XM Radio Dave Shepard joins Dexter Henry to preview the 5 NBA Christmas Day games.

#nba #nbachristmas #newyorkknicks #knicks #lakers #warriors #nuggets #bucks #76ers #joelembiid #heat #lebronjames #stephencurry

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