NBA TODAY | “Cameron Johnson will give Jokic his second ring!” – PERK on Nuggets’ NBA title chances

NBA TODAY | “Cameron Johnson will give Jokic his second ring!” – PERK on Nuggets’ NBA title chances

Nuts. They have championship pedigree. They traded Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson. Saw a much bigger move. They were 18 to1 before free agency. They’re now plus 850. They also made some smaller moves trading for Yodas Valenunis to back up Nicole Joic and bringing back Bruce Brownley who was a member of their championship winning team. Then the squad that the market has told or is telling us, I should say, has made the most improvement has gone from also ran to legit contenders, the Atlanta Hawks. They traded for Chris Sporzingis. And that guy right there, Jaylen Johnson, is an all-star who they’re getting back from injury. So, they add two allstars next year alongside Trey Young with the acquisition of KP, the return of Jaylen Johnson. And look at that. They went from 125 to1 to 25 to1 to win the title. They’re looked at as a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference where they’re 9 to1 to come out of the East. So, I like the moves that the Hawks have made. You’re not getting any value betting them now. But I’m gonna keep my eye on them to see if they really do live up to the expectation.
Okay, that’s interesting. Speaking of living living up to the expectation, tomorrow, July 4th, known as America’s Birthday. Also, the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest. You can catch it at noon Eastern on ESPN 2. What’s the bet you like there, Tyler? Well, obviously, Joey. Well, it has been an incredibly busy off season so far, even though I feel like championship game was just like a couple.
It’s been a lot, Jenny. Oh, there’s so much that has already changed. And what do we do here in sports? Well, we already think about next year. 10 teams who can win the NBA title next season number one. You see the Thunder taking over that top spot followed by the rest. And we are ready to break down this list with our Ashley Nicole Moss because you know it’s just something fun that we do. We talk about these projections and then we can go back at the end of the year and see how we did. And I feel like you
I did call OKC right this year.
You did. You did. just saying.
So, we’re going to start from 10 and work our way down. Okay. And I and I we saw the list there. Who’s going to be number one? And I I would imagine you still agree that the Thunder are going to take that top spot, but um let’s start with the Milwaukee Bucks at number 10. Okay. They waved their injured Damen Lillard. That was like a whole conversation stretching his salary over the season um to help clear space for Miles Turner. That was a big move that just went down. Talk to me a little bit about the Bucks and and what you expect from them this year. So Lakers fans, you’re going to be mad because they’re not on my list than these guys are. But I’m putting them on my list strictly because of Giannis, the strength of him, and also an really weak Eastern Conference. The Lakers have a bigger task going through the West. It’s going to be a different conversation to get out of that. We’ll hit that when we get there. But here’s the thing. I’m strictly putting this on the strength of that guy right there, number 34. And that’s really the only explanation that I have if anybody can take this team. And Miles Turner is a lot better than people are kind of, you know, kind been saying these past few days since he’s become a Milwaukee Buck. He’s coming off an exceptional season. I don’t think he is a needle mover. I don’t think he’s going to be this drastic difference maker, but he is a talent that Giannis will appreciate if Giannis ultimately ends up staying in Milwaukee. That could change. It could change today, tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now. I don’t know. But on June 3rd, 2025, give me the walkie bucks at 10. And this is again strictly because I have a lot of respect and faith in the big man. Giannis,
I love you so much for thinking that it’s June 3rd.
Oh, sorry. July 3rd. It’s been a long time.
The girl needs a break. The girl needs a break. Um I I remember when we were we were talking about the the Bucks news coming out, you were like, “Find someone that that loves you.” like the love Giannis, then we’ll just do anything to appease you and make you happy. We’ll see what happens over there. We’re going to work our way now down to number nine. We have the Orlando Magic. They lost in the first round against the Celtics last season. They they did make some moves this off season. Your take?
I like the moves that they made. I think Desmond Bane was a great acquisition for them. It’s going to help them with their offense. It’s going to help them from a scoring standpoint, both of which they really struggled with last season. I do still think though this is a very young team and I know that narrative has been squashed by the Oklahoma City Thunder after they won the championship this year, but this Magic team is not this that OKC team and I think that they are a couple of seasons away from really being in the conversation. But I think this is going to obviously be a playoff team. I think again with how broken the Eastern Conference is, this is a prime position for a lot of these teams that get lost in the mix to really make some noise as an actual playoff contender. And I think the Orlando Magic were plagued by injury and that’s really what help that’s really what suffered them last season or made them suffer last season. The injuries to Paulo and then Fron Vagner. I think health permitted and the addition of Desmond Bane, this is a team to definitely look out for in the Eastern Conference. Um, we do have an LA team on our list. You mentioned off the top. It is not the Lakers. We have the Clippers coming in at number eight. James Harden signed a 2-year $81.5 million deal with the Clippers after declining that $36.4 million player option. Brooks Lopez agreed to a 2-year deal over there. Well, they haven’t won a playoff series since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2021. Again, we’re taking a look at teams that we think could make it um to win the title next year. So, what do you like about them? I think the Clippers honestly I was very surprised by what they did this season because the wild card is to Kawhi Leonard and his health and his availability and I can’t tell you just as a basketball fan how exciting and just heartwarming it was to see Kawhai playing the way he was playing in the postseason towards the end of the regular season and just really watching a version of Kawhi Leonard that we’ve missed and it’s due to just the up and down with his injuries, the rehabilitation. I think health permitted, this Clippers team is a lot better than a lot of people thought earlier this season. Obviously, James Harden is James Harden. Sometimes he shows up, sometimes he doesn’t. But when he shows up, man, is he special. And then again, when you get a healthy Kawi Leonard, it changes the conversation of the Los Angeles Clippers. It changes the conversation what this team can do and it changes their ceiling. That is the biggest thing. It’s not lack of talent. I do think that this Clippers team is a lot more it’s sneaky talented. It’s like on paper you’re kind of like eh it’s not a good team. They’re not going to, you know, too much stock on two guys who are unreliable. And then you saw them this postseason and then this regular season and you said, “Oh, okay.” Like this actually looks better in real life than it does on paper. But it’s all about Kawawaii and how healthy he can stay. But I’m going to give them the respect of putting them at number eight because of what I saw this off this postseason. The respect is there. Number seven, we have the Minnesota Timberwolves. They resigned Naz Reed. We talked about that off the top. Julius Randall for that combined $225 million contract. Added Rudy Goar who’s extension kings in this season. And the T-Wolves have 334.5 million committed to their bigs and that’s even after trading towns away. So tell talk to me a little bit about Minnesota.
So Minnesota’s tricky for me because they didn’t get better. They stayed the same, which is not the worst thing, especially when you talk about a team that was in the playoffs this season,
but you always want to try to get better.
But you always want to try to get better and you definitely want to try to get better in the Western Conference. And my concern about the Minnesota Timberwolves is look, Anthony Edwards, phenomenal. Every season he gets experience under his belt is better for Anthony Edwards development as a player and as the leader of this Minnesota Timberwolves team. And I think the chemistry, another year under their belt of the chemistry of Julius Randall and Anthony Edwards and just all the new acquisitions and all the new pieces that they had via that trade and what they did um in that prior off season is all beneficial. But my issue is is that
it’s I feel like it’s going to be more of the same. And the same isn’t necessarily bad because as we saw this was a playoff team and the the year before that although they had Carl Anthony Towns this was a team that went to the Western Conference Finals. So it’s hard for me to say it’s going to get worse but it’s also not going to get better which is why I kind of put them at the middle of the road. I think they’re one of the better teams in the West, but it’s hard for me to put a lot of stock in a team when they’re going to be going against guys like the Thunder, the Houston Rockets, who look filthy, even the Dallas Mavericks. Um, but I’m putting them at number seven on the strength of Anthony Edwards and what we saw this team do this particular season. And even although they didn’t come out victorious in the off in the postseason,
okay, so not necessarily better, the same, which yeah, could be.
That’s why they’re in the middle of the road. They’re They’re not at the bottom. They’re not at the top. They’re in the middle.
They’re Yeah. Seven in the middle. At number six, we have the Hawks. Now, they spent the past few summers trying to kind of create a roster around Trey Young. This off season, made a big trade for Christophs Porzingis over there. But you look at what they’ve done in the past. They finished as an eight seed in the East last season. Why do you like him this year?
In the Eastern Conference, this is, in my opinion, the third best team in that conference after the Cavs and after my New York Knicks. And when you talk about what the Atlanta Hawks have been able to do, they’ve been really struggling to kind of find the right team for Trey Young, it’s been a lot of of a revolving of a revolving door, if you will. There’s been a lot of turmoil, right? It was the Dejante Murray situation that didn’t work and they got to trade DeJonte, but there wasn’t a trademark for Trey and it was just trying to figure out the pieces that can work with him. And you bring in Alexander Walker, who’s a versatile player who contribute on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively. Luke Canar, you see him there at the bottom, signed a one-year deal. He’s a reliable scorer um and a shooter to add to their back court. You obviously have Chris at Porzingis who can help stretch the floor. When he’s healthy, you know what he can do. Former Boston Celtic, also former New York Knick, he’s been around. Um but with these additions, I I feel like the Hawks have really filled multiple roster spots and it added a lot of two-way players, giving them more flexibility, more depth. And I said this yesterday and I will say it again. This is the best team that Trey Young has had his entire tenure tenure as a Atlanta Hawk. And if he can’t get it done with this team, he’s the problem, not everybody else.
No pressure there. I do want to ask about a player you just said gets around quite a bit for saying this. He has missed 65 games over the last two seasons. Is there any concern level with just his health?
For sure. And there’s always been a concern level about this with Porzingis. This is not a new thing. It it was an issue in Dallas. It was an issue in Washington. It was an issue in New York. Uh it was an issue in Boston. And now more than likely, it’s going to be an issue in Atlanta. Uh the better option here though, or the silver lining, I should say, is that they do Atlanta does have a lot of pieces that maybe they won’t feel his absence so strongly. But it’s definitely a concern. This is a guy who deals with injury a lot and has in his career.
You always say your best ability is your ability. Your availability your availability is your best ability. Absolutely.
Yeah. Uh we’re going to look at number five now. Right in the middle of the road, we got the Cavs. They lost in five games against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season. Some of the moves they made. Sam Merrell returning on a four-year deal. They’re adding Lonzo Ball via trade with the Bulls. Yeah. Um Lance, oh, sorry, Larry Nance Jr. agreed to a deal over there. What are your thoughts on them?
I had to put the Cavs at number one, although in my head and in my heart, it’s the New York Knicks. But look, the Cavs were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. They were played by injury at the worst possible time. That has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with luck or bad luck. As Phil Jackson said it best, winning a championship is part talent, part luck, and the luck has to do with health. But they’re bringing everybody back. They’re also adding talent in Lonzo Ball. I think that this team could have went further, should have went further than they did. I believe that a lot of people thought they were going to knock the Pacers out and make it all the way to the conference finals, possibly even the NBA finals. And it was a health issue, not a talent issue for this Cleveland Cavaliers team. So, for me, that’s why I have them at the middle. When you look at some of the other teams, you’ll see why. Um, but I definitely have them at top the Eastern Conference as the number one contender to make it all the way. Uh, this next team at number four, I feel like needs no introduction. We have your New York Knicks. The big news coming out yesterday, I believe that was that they are going to be hiring Mike Brown as the next head coach.
Ash, take it away.
Yeah, so we’re still waiting for the official signing of Jordan Clarkson. Jordan Clarkson’s going to be great because he’s one of the best bench scorers in the NBA. You saw that when he was with Utah, won six man of the year in 2020, 2021. Averages 16 points, 3.7 assists. He’s going to be great because you’ll be able to bring him in those closing lineups and really help Brunson when it comes to late game playmaking. It’s that scoring punch off the bench that the Knicks have been looking for. There’s already a lot of gems on the bench. One, you need a coach who’s going to go to him. That’s why Mike Brown’s there. Um, but Jordan Clarkson’s an additional piece that I think the Knicks have been looking for. For me, they’re the second team in the Eastern Conference as a true contender. And I’m gonna say this, as devastating as the injury to the Pacers and the Boston Celtics have been, it has changed the landscape of the Eastern Conference. And I believe this is the Knicks best chance to not only go to the conference finals again, but to go to the NBA Finals. It’s just the name of the game. When things change, you got to take advantage of it. And I think that this is a great basketball team. They have a year under their belt. They have the experience of the postseason of the conference finals from a chemistry standpoint. Remember, Carl Anthony Towns was a late trade and that kind of throws things a little bit off. You’re learning chemistry in real time, but there is no reason why the Knicks should not be able to get it done this season. They have everything at their disposal. They have everything that they need. And if they can’t, there’s going to be some questions because, as you know, then the following year the Celtics come back, the Pacers come back, and the East looks a lot different.
They are your top contender in the East over there at number four. You have your New York Knicks. We’re going to go to the West now for the top three and we’re going to start with the Rockets. This is a team that before you just called filthy, so just take it away.
I’m not even going to go too in depth here. Dave absolutely killed this off season from the trade of Kevin Durant, the lowrisk trade of Kevin Durant, only having to give up two pieces uh when it comes to players and all the other acquisitions. I mean, they recently signed Clint Capella, who they didn’t even need. It’s just like, you know, if I got the cash to spend, why not make it rain? And that’s exactly what they did. I think this Houston Rockets team is well coached. I’m a big fan of Eay Udoka. I think they were already talented. Western Conference second seed. You add Kevin Durant. You add just a lethal scorer scoring machine that’s going to help not only uplift the other guys he’s playing with, but it’s just going to give them that punch, that offensive punch that they struggled with. This was a team that did really well defensively, sometimes struggled offensively. Kevin Durant changes that for me.
Definitely changes things. You know that they’re going to be just a winner this off seasonason by that deal alone. That’s without question. At number two, the Nuggets trading away Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets for Cameron Johnson. That was one of the headlines over there. What do you like about Denver? Do you think they’re just going to continue to find success? Everything. I actually saw a tweet yesterday from a big Denver Nuggets fan that I I I might agree with. said that this iteration of the Denver Nuggets might be better than the Denver Nuggets team that won the championship in 2022. This is what we’ve been waiting for. The help that Jokic has been waiting for, the help that he deserves. Ever since they won the championship, you saw those pieces kind of dwindle. You brought you brought Bruce Brown back. You finally figured out what to do with Michael Porter Jr. who made a lot of money. You didn’t get a lot of return on your investment. You bring Cam Johnson, who’s one of the best inmotion shooters, I believe, in the NBA. You give Jokic that help. You had the best basketball player in the world on your team. This is no knock to SGA. I know you’re the reigning champ, but you know how much I love the big man in the Mile High City. And all you needed to do was give him some pieces, some slight pieces to make his job slightly easier. You didn’t have to do much. And the Denver Nuggets did exactly what they needed to do. This might be the year that the Denver Nuggets make some real noise and bring it all the way back to where it started in the Western Conference Finals. There’s going to be one team that’s in their way for sure when it comes to winning it all, and that is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Your champs over there. We still have them as the number one team projected to win next year. Why is that? They’re the reigning champs, and you got to give the respect to the reigning champs. I think that they’ve squashed the narrative that young teams can’t win basketball games, that young teams can’t win championships, and you have the league MVP, the finals MVP, now Super Max player in SGA. The key is going to be keeping these guys together, which I don’t think they’ll have an issue doing at all. Um, for me though, I just think that they now have a year of experience in the regular season being the top dog in the NBA, the top dog in the Western Conference, a postseason, some big battles against the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers, and now a championship under their belt. This is dangerous because at one once upon a time it was you don’t know what you don’t know. Well, guess what everybody? Now they know. So,
now you know. I feel like that was just a mic drop moment right there. Now you know. And now we’re done. You just rolled through that like an absolute pro. Ashley 10 minute drill. Just I think it was longer than 10 minutes. Girl, odds to win the NBA finals. You can see it right there. The Thunder are the favorite, the heavy favorite at plus 260, followed by Ashley’s New York Knicks at plus 750. You know, she loves seeing that. After that, it get it gets a little fuzzy. The Nuggets, the Rockets, and the Cavs all at plus 850 there.

NBA TODAY | “Cameron Johnson brings Jokic his second ring!” – ESPN on Nuggets’ NBA title chances