The Mismatch

Hey, it’s Kevin. On today’s podcast I spoke with Daman Rangoola from NBA and Lakers Twitter. We talk Game 6 of the Finals, Andrew Wiggins, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. We get into that and much more on today’s episode.

(02:48) - On Jayson Tatum

(09:40) - Why Andrew Wiggins for Finals MVP is disingenuous

(12:57) - Teams that don't spend money shouldn't complain about teams that do

(24:47) - The Lakers' path to becoming a championship contender again

(34:14) - The disappointment with Anthony Davis and fanfiction trade ideas

(41:57) - Russell Westbrook should be flipped for role players

(44:16) - Why the Lakers won’t trade LeBron James unless he asks for it

Host: Kevin O'Connor

Guests: Daman Rangoola

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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Andrew Wiggins has arrived! Verno and KOC give high praise to Wiggins after his stellar Game 5 performance that helped the Warriors take a 3-2 series lead over the Celtics (00:48). They discuss how the Warriors' willingness to go into the luxury tax is what differentiates them from other franchises. The Celtics lost back-to-back games for the first time this postseason, as the guys discuss what went wrong for them in Game 5 and what they need to do differently to keep their title hopes alive (17:24). Plus, Verno shares his experience meeting Paolo Banchero and the Thompson twins (42:04).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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The Celtics took Game 3, and Verno and KOC discuss what the win means for Boston (01:00). Despite the Warriors' loss, Draymond Green remains confident, but his bad play in the Finals has the guys debating whether Green is just becoming arrogant (14:36). Also, the guys discuss the importance of role players stepping up (32:42). Lastly, they briefly discuss who they would take if they had the no. 1 pick in this year’s draft (42:04).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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Verno and KOC recap the Warriors' Game 2 victory that tied their series against the Celtics (01:49). They detail how the Warriors were able to bounce back and discuss different defensive ideas for the Celtics to try to slow down Steph Curry in Game 3. While in New York, Verno found out that Yoko Ono still lives there, so the guys briefly discuss the Beatles and make player comps for the band members (28:46). They last discuss Quin Snyder’s departure from the Jazz and the coaching searches for the Hornets and Kings (42:10).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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After most of the conference finals games were blowouts, Game 1 of the NBA Finals had it all, and Verno and KOC recap the Celtics' comeback victory (01:01). The guys look at Game 1 from both the Celtics' and Warriors' perspectives (09:20). In a game where Jayson Tatum didn’t score, the rest of the Celtics role players stepped up, but can they continue this hot shooting? Or will the rest of the Warriors step up to match their play? Speaking of Tatum, despite his bad shooting night, he found other ways to affect the game, and KOC fully believes we are witnessing his ascension into superstardom (39:35). They last discuss the time when Verno interviewed NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein and Adam Sandler’s new basketball movie, 'Hustle' (58:52).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

Link to Verno’s podcast with Jimmy Goldstein

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Hey it’s Kevin, on today’s podcast I spoke with The Ringer’s Tyler Parker—an OKC mega-fan—and Andrew Schlect, who covers the Thunder for The Athletic. We’re diving deep into OKC’s upcoming offseason because of the stockpile of draft picks they have. The Thunder have four top-34 picks (2, 12, 30, 34). We get into that and much more on today’s episode. Here are the show notes:

(02:53) - On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

(09:55) - Disappointment that SGA and Josh Giddey didn’t play many minutes together

(16:54) - If you had your choice of Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., or Paolo Banchero, who would you choose for the Thunder?

(30:53) - On the possibility of trading down

(41:07) - Which other prospects could they be targeting?

(46:42) - Future outlook for the franchise

Host: Kevin O'Connor

Guests: Tyler Parker and Andrew Schlecht

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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The Finals are set as Steph Curry and the Warriors will face Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. Verno and KOC discuss the Warriors' return to the big stage and how the Celtics battled all season long to get there (01:03). Rest will be key in the Finals as the Celtics are still trying to get healthy while the Warriors will have a full week’s rest once the Finals begin (17:38). Outside of Steph and Tatum, which players on both teams are most important to winning it all (31:18)? The guys agree that the Finals will be competitive because of the styles the two teams play. Next, the guys discuss Tatum’s maturity and how he plays older than his 24 years (36:27). Despite the Warriors having home-court advantage, the guys discuss why the Celtics ultimately have the upper hand when it comes to their home court (44:26). Lastly, KOC reviews 'Top Gun: Maverick' and Verno shares his experience watching Hugh Jackman on Broadway (53:47).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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After the Celtics beat the Heat to take a 3-2 series lead, Verno finally admits to KOC that the Celtics are Finals contenders (00:45). With the Celtics playing defense at an elite level and their role players stepping up, the guys doubt the Heat have enough to turn the series around. As long as the Mavs have Luka Doncic, they have a chance to extend their series against the Warriors, but the rest of the Mavs will need to play like they did in Game 4 (28:13). The guys give their thoughts on this year's All-NBA teams before discussing the latest drama in Brooklyn with the Nets (41:51).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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Verno and KOC begin the show discussing the abnormal number of blowout playoff games this season (01:00). After the Heat were physical in their Game 3 win, they got blown out in Game 4 as the Celtics tied the series at 2-2 (17:20). KOC explains why having Robert Williams on the floor is more important than having Marcus Smart. After pushing the Suns to seven games, the Mavs are now down 0-3 to the Warriors and the guys are starting to reconsider choosing the Mavs in this series (24:12). One thing is certain when it comes to the Mavs: They need help. Lastly, they discuss Tim Connelly leaving the Nuggets to join the Timberwolves and some of the notable performances from the NBA combine (47:54).

Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O’Connor

Producer: Jessie Lopez

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Hey, it's Kevin with a surprise podcast! I'll be discussing the NBA conference finals on Tuesday’s episode of The MisMatch, but today I’ll be going through the entire first round of the 2022 NBA draft with my latest mock. This was originally posted as a video on our YouTube channel, but we decided to publish the whole thing here as a podcast.

(02:35) - Pick 1

(05:11) - Pick 2

(08:38) - Pick 3

(11:30) - Picks 4-9

(27:46) - Picks 10-14

(35:07) - Picks 15-19

(42:05) - Picks 20-24

(47:07) - Picks 25-30

Host: Kevin O'Connor

Producers: Jessie Lopez, Dylan Berkey, and Ronak Nair

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