What If Playoff Pressure Redefines Your Legacy

I’m chasing the chaos of Game 7 basketball and weighing whether this first round can deliver that same high-stakes drama. I run through the matchups that can still go the distance, then I rank playoff “stock” with players who are improving, staying the same, or sliding backward under pressure. 
• Craving more Game 7s and why they matter 
• What blowouts and closeouts signal for Round 2 
• Why Lakers-Rockets feels dangerous if it hits seven 
• Magic-Pistons as offense vs defense and late-game shot makers 
• Cavs-Raptors as a test of handling ugly basketball 
• Why Celtics-76ers has real championship upside if healthy 
• My improving list and what “improving” means 
• My stagnant list as the baseline expectation 
• My decreasing list led by efficiency concerns 
• Why Jamal Murray’s play raises big Denver questions 
So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. And also let me know your thoughts, too. I'm curious. Were my lists off? Are y'all wanting to see as many game sevens as I do? What's your thoughts? 

Transcript

Chasing The Game 7 Rush

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What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show, get a bucket. I'm your host, Trey, and as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Look, the NBA playoffs, it's been relatively exciting. I'm kind of disappointed right now, though. Hear me out, just hear me out. 2009, I'm a game seven person. And we had five game sevens in 2009. To be clear, that's the record for most game sevens in the first round of a single NBA playoffs. And when I'm looking here at these brackets, we have my Lakers versus the Rockets, that could go the distance. Celtics and 76ers is already going the distance. Cavs and Raptors, that could go the distance, as well as the Pistons and Magic. But even still, if all of those options go the distance, that's only four of them. But that's not bad. Like it's close. We're not playing horseshoes. So you know, it sucks that we're close and it don't really matter. But even still, four game sevens to watch in the first round. That's going to be pretty exciting, pretty entertaining. Because the game seven, that's when it gets chippy. But also, too, I will be wondering how this happens, how this impacts the second round. Now keep in mind there were some close games, right? Like there was a game six, a couple places. Like, for example, the with the Wolves and the Nuggets, I was very surprised. Like, could the wheel could the Wolves have won? Sure. But Anthony Edwards, Dante DiVincenzo, they're out. I feel for Dante still to this day. Oh my gosh. Terrier Achilles hurts. And then Ant with a hyper-extended knee. And Jaden Daniels, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert. They beat the Denver Nuggets in six. New York Knicks dismantled. No, dominated. No, just flat out thrashed the Hawks. Like 140 to 89. Ladies and gentlemen, that is by far disgusting. We're talking about 83 points at the half. In fact, you could even say that the Knicks did a terrible job because they didn't get to their 160 mark. They left 20 points on the board somewhere. Like that is ridiculous. And hear me out, too. The way they dominated the Hawks, talent-wise, the Hawks can beat anybody on either side of the bracket. Talent. Experience does matter. And the Knicks did show me that they were able to dominate. Carl Anthony Towns gives you another triple double. Like, yo, maybe the Knicks are for real. But they went to a game six. I was pulling for a game seven. So, ladies and gentlemen, in terms of the playoffs going forward, we already talked about the Thunder beating the Suns in four, sweeping them. We talked about the Spurs, gentlemen sweeping the Trailblazers. We just talked about the Nuggets and Timberwolves. We just talked about the Hawks and Knicks. So the only thing we got to talk about left is the other teams. The Lakers versus my Lakers surprised me going up three, though. I'm not gonna lie to y'all. But could I say I'd be surprised if the Rockets come back? Not quite. Now, I still expect us to win. Kevin Durant's not playing more than likely, like that ankle injury's still there. We should be able to win another game. We should. Austin Reeves is back. Hear me out. If my Lakers can't win game six, game seven gonna be a little grimy. Now, yes, LeBron James has the most experience out of everybody. Hell, Marcus Smart might even have the second best experience, most experience out of everybody on the floor. But talent-wise, if the Rockets can can win three in a row, just like the Lakers just won three in a row, I still I told y'all this, I didn't want to go up against the Wolves, Rockets, Nuggets, nor Thunder. And I or Spurs. And I still stand true to that. We had to play somebody, though. And it just so happened to be the Rockets. If we can't win Game Six, I'm not happy about Game 7. Even though it would be on our floor. I still don't like that. Now, the Pistons going up against the Magic. The Magic have to close out this Game Six. If it goes the distance, the Pistons are in fact an ugly team. And when we're talking about skill, Cade Cunningham is more skilled than Paolo Banquero. Both are number one options. They have proven that. To be clear, they have already proven that. Matter of fact, you might as well book them as locks for going to the 2028 Olympic Games for USA. You might as well book them, right? But if the Magic can't get the job done, are they grimy as well too as the Pistons? Yes. Do they have more offensive talent than the Pistons? Yes. Defensively, I still lean Pistons and defense wins championships. So again, ladies and gentlemen, in the game seven, defense matters, and you need somebody to be able to get you over the hump. And I think Cade is that guy. I think Paolo can be as well, too, don't get me wrong. But the Magic need to close this game six out. If they don't, I'm not liking their chances. And then going forward, how will this look? Because remember, the Pistons are a younger team. The Magic do have more experience. Maybe not even collectively, but individually, especially their starting five, they have more experience than the Pistons do. So that needs to showcase now. So the Magic need to win. The Cavs, ladies and gentlemen, I didn't think we were going to be here. A game six? I did not. And in fact, I think Brandon Ingram might be out for game six. We'll wait and see. But hear me out, though. If the Cavs do not win game six, they're in extreme jeopardy of losing game seven. Because again, it's an ugly game, and the uglier the better for the Raptors. So, ladies and gentlemen, when we're thinking about this, I need the Cavs to actually win. Remember, I talked about how the Knicks were dominant, right? Well, if the Knicks can be dominant, how come the Cavs can't be? We're talking about a team with not as much experience in the playoffs. That's what we're talking about. So, ladies and gentlemen, I genuinely want to see the Cavs win game six. Because if not, Donovan Mitchell, people are gonna start looking at you differently. James Harden, we're gonna continue to look at you the same. Evan Mobley, your stock's gonna decrease. Jared Allen, I don't know what to tell you. Like, ladies and gentlemen, the Cavs have a lot to prove. And now for my final matchup, because this one's gonna be spectacular, Celtics. 76ers, I told y'all before the playoffs even started, there is a world where these 76ers advance past the Celtics. And I said in the first round, too. That's what's crazy about it. Like I told y'all this. Does it happen? We'll wait to see. But I told you if Joel Embiid is healthy, they have enough pieces around him to get the job done. Now, does he still fade away? Yes. Does he still fall to the ground? Yes. Is some of his game not really appealing? Sure, I'll give you that. But he's still a walking 30 points per game. Like that. And then you got Tyrese Maxie who's doing his thing too. The Celtics better be out, better be careful. Because yes, they've beaten the 76ers before. So maybe they're even comfortable. This is a different 76ers team, ladies and gentlemen. This is a 76ers team that can go the real distance. And I'm not just talking about a game seven. I'm talking about if they're still healthy, they could win an NBA championship. They could beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. They could beat the San Antonio Spurs. They could beat the Wolves. They could beat my Lakers or the Rockets. They could beat any team in this playoffs. Any team. So again, the 76ers are nothing to scoff at. Especially when Paul George is snapping the way he does. And you still got other players who can get a bucket. Ladies and gentlemen, what are we doing? The playoffs, very entertaining. Am I still disappointed that we do not get to see some game sevens? Yes, I am. I truly am. But I will stomach this because you know what? We're not looking that bad. It's not looking bad at all in terms of entertainment-wise. And hear me out, too. Because I over the over the first round, I've noted players who have been improving in terms of their legacy, right? Like how we should view them. Players who remain stagnant, meaning not changing. And then I got some players who have decreased. I'm going to list the improving players and stagnant players, and then talk about my decreasing players. So my improving players Paolo Bancaro, Cade Cunningham, Jalen McDermott, Jaden McDaniels, Scotty Barnes, Denny Abdia, De'Aaron Fox, Victor Wimbenyama, Dylan Brooks, Alprin Shingen, Amin Thompson, Wendell Carter, Ayo DeSumo. Although he got injured, so that kind of helped, that kind of hurt him, but it also kind of helped him as well, too. That 40 point, that 43-point game was pretty spectacular. But anyways, let's go back down. Wendell Carter Jr., like I said, R.J. Barrett, Tyrese Maxie, Paul George, Jason Tatum, Carl Anthony Towns, and Joel Embiid. Those are my improving players. For my stagnant players, Nicola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, Shea Gilders Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Green, Devin Booker, LeBron James, DeAndre Ayton, Luke Connard, Marcus Smart, Kevin Durant, Desmond Bain, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Jared Allen, James Harden, OG Andinobi, Jalen Brown, Derek White, Peyton Pritchard, Mikhail Bridges. Those are my stagnant players. And again, stagnant means we expect this out of you. You did nothing to hinder or elevate your status. Improved says you actually elevated your status. For example, Jason Tatum, he's playing pretty spectacular, right? Even though they have allowed the 76ers to come back. But the key reason is because, again, he's coming off injury, ladies and gentlemen. He's doing better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. So again, improving. Can we say it's got a career-defining moment? Actually, we might be able to, because again, coming back off injury the way he did, that this is pretty spectacular play. Just saying. Meanwhile, someone like Nicola Jokic, dominant, yes, for sure. Not dominant or not as dominant as we've seen. Did he get the triple-double? Yes, he did. But was the efficiency there? No, it was not. And especially if we're going to talk about players like Rudy Gobert, well, I think we may need to put him in a different conversation. Matter of fact, throw Rudy on the improving list because defensively, you just went up against the quote unquote best player in the NBA and you did pretty spectacular defensively. Now, the players who have been decreasing, Jalen Durant. You're not showing up. And I get it, this is what, your second time in the playoffs? The second time the Pistons have been in the playoffs. And you're not showing up. You were an all-star this season. We were talking about you potentially going to team USA for 2028. Because we need bigs, we know that. But ladies and gentlemen, I can't put this Jalen Duran on the list at all. Because he was again all-star year this season. I can't get 20 and 12 or 20 and 10 or I can't get anywhere close to that in the postseason. So it's making me wonder how does his game translate in the postseason? Again, this is the second year. I'm expecting you to be a little more comfortable. Now, bigs do take about five years to develop. I'll give you that, okay? And keep in mind, Jalen Durrett, how old is he? 22. So we do have some time. He got drafted in 2022. He's supposed to be ready by 2027. It's currently 2026. So I'll I'll ext, matter of fact, no, 2028. That's when it's supposed to be. But even still, ladies and gentlemen, we got to wait and see how long how well he does. But next season, you got to show us more than this. You have to. Now, another player, Jalen Suggs, right? Jalen, I do appreciate what you're trying to do. Like, I love the defensive nature in you. I genuinely do. You're leading your team in assists. You're your best point guard. You're the combo guard. I like it. I genuinely do. You were all NBA defense, your all defense last year. Phenomenal. It's just that. Look, efficiency-wise, I get the playoffs is a little gruesome, but damn, bro. 28 from the field, 30 from the three. And that's versus Detroit. So obviously that's obviously not the best matchup for you. But still, that efficiency we do need. Yes, a little rugged play is needed at times, but dang, bro, like that's tough. And that's that's that's just during Detroit in the regular season. You've improved it in the playoffs, I'll give you, but still, it's kind of decreasing for me. Not much. Not much. I almost put you a stagnant, honestly. But the efficiency piece, that's gotta drive up more. And then also the assist numbers, they went down. Like everything statistically went down. Only thing that didn't was turnovers. Technically, it went down, but that's supposed to go up, but that's that's good production-wise. So again, ladies and gentlemen, I'm putting Jalen Suggs down in my decreasing list. Barely, but still there. Brandon Ingram is another player who's on my decreasing list, and I hate to put him there. Y'all know I love my blue doubles. But hear me out. He's inefficiently given 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, 33 points, 33 field goal percentage, 39 from the three, 74 from the free throw. That's kind of crazy. Those are not good numbers, Brandon. You gotta do better than that, buddy. You really gotta do better than that, man. And I'm a big fan. We draft my Lakers drafted you. But Scotty Barnes and RJ Barrett are both outplaying you. If it was just Scotty, I can take that. RJ outplaying you is kind of tough. That was before the injury, too. So again, ladies and gentlemen, Brandon Ingram, I got biased for him, but I gotta decrease him. Now, this the guy who I'm about to mention, this is my last person. Because he's honestly been the most egregious on this list, which is crazy because Jalen Duran has not been playing well, but Jalen has not had the same level of experience that this guy who I'm about to mention has. And that is in fact Jamal Murray. Ladies and gentlemen, Jamal Murray, while averaging 26, has been extremely inefficient. 35 from the field, 27 from the three. That is not good numbers. And let's not forget, too, it's in a closeout game with no Dante DiVincenzo, no Anthony Edwards, you give 12.6 rebounds, four assists, one block on 23 from the field, none from the three, and 100% from the free throw line. That is very disgusting numbers. Jamal Murray, I am not impressed. You had a phenomenal regular season. But this is another playoffs where you struggle, and it's against the Wolves. And it's not even like the Wolves are that locked down defensively. Do they have good defenders? Yes, without question. But it's not like we're talking about OKC. Like we're not talking, it's not like we're talking about the Pistons. Like there is a bit of a difference between those two. And the Wolves are a solid quality defensive team. But Jamal Murray, this is now the second year where you have struggled. First year, you got into a little pouty mood where you're throwing ice packs on the floor and all this other crap, right? You're not being professional. Then this series, you get dog walking. And again, in a closeout game, you don't show up. Your running mate, Nicola Jokic, does. Jamal Murray does not. Ladies and gentlemen, with the concept that Nicola Jokic needs to re-sign, right? I'm starting to wonder. One, I already knew MPJ's trade was going to hurt the Nuggets going forward. Because I thought MPJ was really their second option, personally. Like, did they play through Jamal Murray as the second option? Yes, but I thought MPJ should have been the second option going forward for the future. This just helps prove my thought process personally. Jamal Murray could be trade bait if I'm the Nuggets, just to see what I can get for him. Because remember, we already have a playmaker. So if I could just get a quality scoring option, why not? Like what happens if I dangle to the Houston Rockets, Jamal Murray for Kevin Durant? Like, what if I just do that? Because I've actually liked I'm just throwing an idea out there. Again, I don't mind KD paired with Nikola Jokic. I don't. Because then you got Aaron Gordon, you get more height, you get similar or better scoring. Much like better efficiency for sure. Jamal Murray had an MVP-esque season this year. First time all-star nod. Playoffs when it counts. Was looking a little tragic, though. So again, I'm not the biggest fan of Jamal Murray right now. He's on my decreasing list for sure. And I think the Nuggets need to really evaluate what their trajectory is going to look like with Jamal Murray as their second option. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we got a lot more basketball to watch and follow. And maybe some of these guys on this list slide on down to my decreasing list. Or maybe they move off to stagnant lists, or maybe they move off to improving lists. We gotta wait and see. But the playoffs thus far, very entertaining. So I'm curious to see how many of the first rounds go to game sevens. Who on these lists move up and down, or if they stay the same. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that does conclude the end of the episode. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. And also let me know your thoughts, too. I'm curious. Were my lists off? Are y'all wanting to see as many game sevens as I do? What's your thoughts? But ladies and gentlemen, like I said, that does conclude the end of the episode. So hope you all have a good one. Take care.