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Welcome to Oddball.I'm Charlotte Wilder.That's Amin Elhassan.I mean, it is time to get into the biggest stories in the NBA or as our friends at Goodfollow lovingly call it, the MNBA.Because if there's a WNBA, Men's NBA, what do you think?
I thought it was Men-BA.Oh, that would be really good.I actually like that.The Men-BA is, oh my God.
Yeah.Let's change it.Change the name.MNBA.Adam Silver.Okay.
MNBA, here's a question.It's still spelled M-N-B-A.Is there any merch that is spelled M-E-N-B-A?
No, no.It's M-N-B-A, and there's a logo out there, because I've seen it.I've seen what good follow's up to, so keep your eye out on that one.
OK, men be really good.I mean, we got to talk about the Sixers.Shocking per Sham Sharani at ESPN.Here's a quote.
The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers one hundred thousand dollars for public statements around health status of all NBA center Joel Embiid.So.
I mean, what the investigation found was that the Sixers and Embiid didn't violate the player participation policy where, you know, the stars have to play, but that the public comments didn't properly reflect the knee issue.
So what they're saying is he was hurt.We just didn't know instead of he wasn't hurt and he didn't play.
Yeah, by the way, the lower third says NBA fine, Sixers for Embiid comments.My brain read it as MenBA fine, Sixers for Embiid comments.Now it's stuck in my head, yes.
No, it's either you're healthy and you could have played and you didn't, in which case you're fined, or you're hurt and you told everybody you're healthy, and that's a fine.You can't lie on the report, basically.You cannot mislead on the report.
And the big thing about misleading on the report is because this is the age of transparency.We have gambling interests, right?
Not only our parents over at DraftKings, but all the other gambling houses that are affiliated and putting the NBA games on the board.You need accurate information, so you cannot outwardly kind of, I guess, lie or spread untruths about a situation.
He's hurt.The NBA did its investigation like, holy crap, this guy's actually hurt.That's why he missed the game.Then why the hell have you been telling everybody he's healthy?Because that's all they've been saying.Oh, he's fine.He's fine.
Like, that's why they got fined.
Well, Nick Nurse clearly did not want to talk about this a week into the season.Let's hear it.
With Joel's plan... I'm not going to answer.Go ahead. Anybody else got anything?They've given you the updates on that, right?They've given you the updates on Joel.
So I mean, first of all, this is a weekend of the season.Second of all, ever since Nick Nurse had that guitar with him when the Raptors won the finals in 2019, he's he just has always reminded me of a guitar teacher.I think it's also the goatee.
And now he just looks like a guitar teacher who is like extremely fed up with his entitled suburban students.And I can't in this analogy tell you if that's the fans, the media or Joel Embiid himself, probably not Joel Embiid.
But those are the vibes I'm getting.Is this normal a week into the season?
You're talking about the kid who can barely play like a G chord.And I'm like, when am I gonna learn to shred like Eric Clapton or Mark Knopfler?
He's like, I want to do this solo in Purple Rain.And it's like, well, let's start with something else.
You know how he could have avoided that?Like all these weird questions and focus on it.They just told the truth. Tell the truth, in the words of my man, Will Smith, in the concussion movie.Tell the truth.
If they're told the truth about Joel Embiid being not healthy, and with a timeline, like, look, we're gonna be reevaluated in two weeks or whatever, then that saves a lot of this uncertainty.
But they're the ones that created this mess by trying to be too cute.And I'm not gonna put that on Coach Nurse, because it's not the coaches who typically do all this stuff.That's typically under the front office purview.
And the front office has a guy who's known to like to play around and like poke fun and look for loopholes and be cute.Well, your cuteness caught up with you.Deal with it.Well, I guess your coach has to deal with it.
Yeah.Well, you know, what do you think that this means for their chances in the season?It feels to me like this is one of those situations where it's still so early that there is a chance.
I mean, obviously, this is what we all thought was going to happen when Paul George signed with the Sixers, is that both Meade and Paul George would miss a lot of time.Does that matter in the regular season right now?
I mean, it matters at a certain point.That point is nowhere near now.They could probably be out all the way until Christmas.If they can hover around 500 until Christmas, they could still be a 50 win team to put things in perspective.
Especially when you look at the Eastern conference, like the number of teams that could squeeze them out of a top six are very limited.I mean, it's, there's just not enough talent out there in the East to make
being a play on play in versus playoff team, a real threat to them.So long as we get this thing cleared up sooner rather than later.
Yeah.All right.Moving on three games into his triumphant return, Lonzo Ball is out with a wrist injury.You know this.I don't know.I feel bad for Lonzo.Obviously, this is it just bums me out.
I mean, it's like he got he started playing again and then he's another thing wrong with him.
Yeah, I mean, but a wrist sprain is like something that happens when you land wrong on your wrist.It's not like I would be way more concerned if it was like swelling in his knee or some other issue, tendonitis or even pain in the other leg.
Because what happens a lot is when you come back from surgery, you are favoring the repaired leg.So then the other one is the one that takes an undue amount of stress.And then you get the other one hurt and all that stuff.
So for this to be a wrist injury to me, I'm all right with that.That means he's just. little scrapes and scrabbles that happen as a basketball player.
All right.Well, you actually made me feel a little better about Lonzo there.I mean, it is time for a fun little segment.Start of the NBA season is always so busy.And finally, Halloween is here.I feel like it shouldn't be here yet.
This feels like it snuck up on us, right?
Yeah.Some of the players don't even have time to pick out their costumes.
Oh, really? You know what, let's pick him out for him.I think I just had an idea.We're going to do Hoop-a-ween, which, OK, I'm going to be honest.
Our producers thought of this.Hoop-a-ween.I don't know, guys.
Yeah.Okay.Well, whatever.We're going to play along with it.We're going to play along with it because we love our producers very much.Let's start with Jokic and see what they made him.Okay.
There's a new Superman coming out next year, by the way.Oh, really?This is what I learned, yeah.Watching trailers.Oh, okay.
Jokic is Superman here because he's been putting the nuggets on his back.He's been averaging 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists in the past three games, which is wild, but the team is still struggling.
They lost to the Clippers without Kawhi and had to go to overtime to beat the Raptors and the Nets.They're 2-2 to start the season. I don't know.I mean, I don't love this because here's the greatest player we have at the moment.
Is Denver wasting Jokic's prime?That feels so dramatic.But like, is that what's happening?
Yeah.Wasting is a tough word.I would say not optimizing is probably closer to it.Look, for all the, hey, how are they going to replace Bruce Brown and Jeff Green that we got last year?
They were up three, two in the conference finals and they got blown out in game six and they didn't, you know, they didn't execute in game seven, but they were essentially right there on the cusp of going back to the finals, repeating as conference champions.
And in my opinion, I think they would have beaten the Celtics because I don't think the Celtics would have had an answer for Nicoli Okic. So it's like that fall off is not as dramatic as, as it makes seem when you see they're wasting his prime.
Having said that losing KCB was another piece that was left off.And, and these are kind of the, the tough decisions teams make financially because the rules, especially now with the new CBA make it very hard to keep teams together.
So they lost KCP, but. you know, when you think about it, this is a lot like what happened with golden state.It's like, okay, we have to let some of our bets go.
We're going to have, uh, our, our supporting cast be made out of these young guys and they'll just step up and, and, and we'll pick up where we left off.I'm like, nah, there's a little experience factor there that they don't have.
And so if you're the nuggets,
Like you kind of did it again, you tried to address a little bit, you got Dario Sars, you got Russell Westbrook, but it's like, there's still an element of you got guys playing for you that maybe the coaching staff isn't 100% confident in because they're still having the growing pains of youth.
Yeah, I mean, I think Westbrook, he had 22 points against the Nets granted, but like he's clearly been a big influence.Mike Malone talked about what a huge presence he is off the court.
And, you know, if they can get good games out of him, if he can keep doing that, I do think they still have the hangover from losing, you know, green and brown, all the, you know, the colors you make when you mix the primary colors together.
Well, greens, no, green's not a primary color.Anyway, California Pizza Kitchen, Seems tough for me.
Yeah, he went he went all over the world with that of Russell Westbrook, I think is absolutely going to be the key for them, not just from a mentorship off the court way, but also on the court.
I talked to Law Murray, who covers the Clippers for the Athletic, and, you know, he wrote about this, I believe, last year about.
Russell Westbrook, when he gets to a new team, there is a growing feeling out period where they start a little slow and then they figure it out and they get it going everywhere other than with the Lakers.
So I fully expect that to happen with the Nuggets as well.All right, let's move to the Eastern Conference.Charlotte and Paolo Bankaro down in Orlando has been doing his best LeBron impression lately.I wonder which LeBron we're talking about.
So his costume is LeBron.Let's see it. Oh, yes, that's the current LeBron.He's doing an impression of LeBron right now.I thought you guys would go like Cavs LeBron or something.
When Orlando faced the Pacers on Monday, he had the first 50 burger of his career, 50 points against the Indiana Pacers.He's, I believe, the first one since TMAC to drop one of those.
And the only players to have a 50, 10 and five stat line before turning the age of 22, Paolo and his costume, LeBron James. Charlie, if you remember, I said he's going to have a breakout role, a breakout year this year before we started.
That was one of my predictions.I thought he's going to average more than 25 a game.He's off to a great start.
Yeah.You know, you could say this might be.
The Bankero year might take the mantle over from the Halliburton year, where Tyrese got a lot of attention last year because everyone was like, oh, this guy is an amazing point guard and he really can make the most incredible assists we've seen in a while.
I don't think that Paulo's offseason attention level was that high. which I think is great for him because then he can just sort of put his head down and do whatever he's going to do.And I think that it is going to skyrocket this year.
I think he's going to start getting a lot of attention and it's going to be fun to see how he responds to that because I get the sense that he's just going to keep scoring a lot.This is a fun one.After their win against the Timberwolves yesterday,
They're going to be the Scooby-Doo gang.And now let me, let me walk you through this.You see, you see that Lucas Scooby-Doo there.
Are we saying that like, wait, who's, who's, who's Velma or Velma or whatever her name is.Oh, there we go.Zoomed in a little.There you go.PJ Washington is Velma.Lucas Scooby-Doo.Lively is Shaggy.Clay is Fred.I guess he's the grownup in the room.
And then Kyrie is Daphne.Come on, guys.
You know Scooby-Doo a lot better than I do.You don't know the characters?I would not have known Daphne's name.
Fred and Daphne, they were the Dayton.And then Shaggy kinda had a crush.I'm happy for them.
So the Scooby-Doo gang here, the Mavs survived against the Timberwolves, so that means that they solved the crime.Even though Anthony Edwards had 24 points in the first quarter, so that makes Ant the big scary monster.
And then despite Kyrie leading by scoring with 35 points and Klay continuing to gel with the Mavs and he had a bunch of threes, all anybody ever wants to talk about is the damn dog is Scooby himself.Who is Luca who went one for eight from three?
Yeah, but like that one was pretty big.He iced the game with a minute to go.
Okay, why would you mess with my analogy right now?That's my question.It was going so well, I mean.Was it?
I don't know.As soon as I saw that Kyrie was daft, I'm like, I don't know about this.But the story here, Charlotte Wilder, is Klay Thompson.He's being who they need him to be so far.
He set a record for most threes in the first three games with a new team with 15.And if you're the Dallas Mavericks, you have to be overjoyed about that.
Definitely.I mean, I do want to say not to toot my own horn, but I did predict this because in a show like maybe last week or the week before, because I really get the sense that Clay has wanted to keep proving himself at the age that he is.
I think he wanted to prove himself with the Warriors.I just feel like there was too much baggage there.I don't think they were willing to give him the room to do that, just and not by any fault of the Warriors own.
It was just like he'd been there, what, 13 years?I mean, it was just time for him to go somewhere else.
And I think that it's really cool to see him succeeding in that place, to see him being able to bring the Klay Thompson that we've seen before to a new place.I also think the Timberwolves are just still getting used to each other.
So shout out to Freddie Prince Jr., by the way, who played Fred in the live action Scooby Doo.
Yes, something I say every day.Shout out to Freddie Prinze Jr.OK, we're going to we got Joe Mazzulla and Peyton Pritchard to some blatant favoritism towards my Boston Celtics.However, before we get to their costumes, we have to say this real quick.
The biggest thing that we rob people of from an entertainment standpoint is you can't fight anymore.I wish you'd just bring back, like, fighting.
You know, the sport has, like, one of the hardest surface playing instruments in a puck and sticks, and yet we're not allowed to, like, you know, throw around a little bit.
OK, I mean, first of all, this means that Joe Mazzola's costume is a toothless hockey player.Second of all, Joe Mazzola at this point, he knows exactly what he's doing.He's being a troll.He is trying to be a master of the media.
Everyone's like, oh, he's he's nuts.And he just says whatever he thinks.No, he's like doing this on purpose.He is instigating.He doesn't want people to.What is he going to do when someone kicks Chris Stapps in the shin and he's out?
Like, come on, you don't actually want that.
Well, there is.It's really good.It looks very authentic. When you're successful, as Joe Mazzulla has been, you begin to think you're, you can say anything.You can say anything and they can't touch you.What are they going to say?I'm a champion.
And on some level, he's right.But on another level, I think to myself, if David Stern were here, he would have cussed him out for this.And then he would have publicly reprimanded him and would have made him walk it back publicly.
Because David Stern wouldn't play on that.Like the idea that we don't have fighting in the NBA, that is not like an evolution of guys grew up like, I don't like fighting.
Like, no, this was a purposeful weaning out of this feature, out of our game, out of our sport, done by the commissioner, done by the league office.This is something they take very seriously.
And so to have one of your coaches be like, yeah, we have some guys knocking each other out, like, That's not cool, but again, I look to Adam Silver, I look to Mark Tatum, I look to Joe Dumars.
Are y'all gonna do anything about these people who talk reckless, who talk about things that jeopardize the integrity of our game, or you just let them talk and you hit them with a $10,000 fine and that's it?Just keep going.
Do you think they will say anything?
I mean, I've given up on trying to predict what they'll react to, because they hit Nick Nurse in the sixes 100 grand. because of an injury thing, which I'm with.
Yes, he deserved, you know, the organization deserved to get fined that for being untruthful in their injury reporting.But this to me is like right up there with kind of like people accusing referees of being on the take and stuff.
Like there's no place for these comments.And especially this, this wasn't even in the heat of battle after a game, he was angry or whatever. This is him on his weekly hit on the local TV station.What are you doing?What are you doing, man?
You understand what we're doing here?It's a business.
All right, real quick, we're going to stay in Boston and I'm Peyton Pritchard.Yeah, 20 points in 28 minutes to help the Celtics beat the Bucs, including a last second shot to end the third that also seemed to end Doc Rivers for a moment.
Real deep dad lean on the knees there.I absolutely love it.He also played basketball with a random kid at a park and all this to say, I mean, he's he's in line for the best Bostonian of all time.
I mean, look, I'm brave enough to say it, which is why his costume. is John Adams.I don't know that we want to dig too deep into John Adams' history to see if... Guys, if this is the Photoshop, then don't do it.
If you couldn't get the wig over his shape up, then don't do it.
All right, well, the festivities for Halloween do not end here.Tomorrow, we have a very special, exciting episode for you.But in the meantime, we're going to play our game of Oddacity.Don't say it like that.When we come back, stick around.
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OK, welcome back to Oddball.I lied.We have one more costume and it's Zachary Rechauchet.The rookie recently said, back in France, I was super athletic and now I'm just a regular dude.So we are hooking up with a costume as a regular dude.
Is that wait, is that from that Ryan Reynolds movie, Free Guy or whatever?
I didn't even see it.I just saw a lot of commercial.It ran a lot of commercials during sports.
They want me to say some anti-Yankee propaganda in the prompter.I will not go along with it.I will not.You know what?And the best news of the week, the guys that saved the season, saved the series, right?They're not even banned.
They're not even suspended.They can come back tonight.
The guys who grabbed Mookie Betts' glove.
Let Mookie Betts know this is the Bronx.S*** happens.Shout out to Fat Joe.
Okay, so it's time for Audacity.Audacity is presented by DraftKings.Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show.DraftKings, the crown is yours.
Just a quick reminder, this is a game that's like an auction, you don't really wanna win.We're gonna keep picking bets with increasing odds until one of us taps out, and I lost last week apparently, which sucks, so I mean, you're going first.
Do you remember what you stopped on?It was something like Celtics plus 30 or something.
Celtics to beat Pacers on Wednesday night minus three to, ah, straight up, yeah, I'll take that, sure.
Okay, Brunson plus 25 points against the Heat.Those odds are minus 175.Well, I guess the Heat have been struggling.
I'm going to be at that game.The Heat have been struggling to score points, Charlotte.They haven't been struggling to play defense.
The defense has been pretty stout, I think, other than that first night against Orlando, where Orlando just ran up and down.
Okay, should I take that or should I take the Cavs beating the Lakers and both teams going over 99.5 points for minus 150?That sounds like a better bet. Okay, I'm gonna do that.
I'm gonna take the Cavs to beat the Lakers and over 99 and a half points.
Well, you know what?I will up you here with Knicks versus Heat under is 213 total.That's basically 106 to 107 would be the final score.Minus 108 are the odds going over there.
These are two hard-nosed defensive outfits who are struggling to find their offense early on.I'm gonna go with that one.
That's why I'm trying to surprise the line on that Brunson bet is what it is.But okay.All right.I see your bet of the Knicks versus the Heat.And you know what?I'm going to take the money line.
Celtics minus seven and a half against the Pacers on Wednesday night.That bet is at minus 105.Do you think Tyrese Halliburton is going to... This is just shaking off the rust.
Yeah.Yeah.I think so.And he had a long summary.Remember he was part of team USA.I know he didn't play a lot in France, but he's still there.He still traveled.He still had to do the practices and everything.
And that takes you out of your rhythm to start the season with a very short rest, but he'll get it.He'll get it going.Uh, you talked about Tyrese Halliburton.I'm going to talk about another point guard, all-star point guard, Tyrese Maxey.
Another Tyrese.Yeah.30 plus points versus the Pistons on Wednesday.That's going for plus 100.Give it to me.
Yeah, that's good.I like that.Okay.Wizards to beat the Hawks again is plus 150 or bam, 18 points.No, I'm going to take the Wizards to beat the Hawks again.
Because the point stuff with the Heat and the Knicks makes me nervous because I don't think there are going to be a ton of them.So I'm going to stick to the Wizards beating the Hawks, which sounds crazy, actually.
I wouldn't have said that last season.
You're betting on the Wizards to have two wins here.
Yeah, well, Dyson Daniels is out for the Hawks.Let's just roll with it.I mean, pick another one.
I'm not picking another one, you win.You win, right?I'm not going, but what are you talking about?This is like an auction.If someone bids $8 million, I'm not moving, we'll have to go above them.
Like I'm not going, I was real comfortable at Tyrese Maxey.I'm not comfortable there.And the ones that come afterward.
You could have chosen Wemby for 50 plus points in rebounds and assists combined against Oklahoma City.
That's a very Charlotte Wather bet.That's a Charlotte Wather bet.
You can buy it yourself.How about that?You can one up yourself and take that one.
I'm not even dumb enough to do that.
And yet you're begging the Wizards to win twice in one week.
I mean, it's reverse psychology.I'm reverse psychology-ing the Wizards, because I know the whole team watches Oddball.They watch film, and then they watch Oddball, so they're going to be thinking, okay, what is Charlotte going to take?
Yeah, I mean, I'm taking the Wizards, because this is reverse psychology.First of all, I know that the Wizards watch film, and then the Wizards watch Oddball, so when they hear me say- Wait.
Reverse psychology on whom?
Oh, wait.No, that wouldn't work, would it? It's like straightforward psychology.You know what?Wizards, go get them.You got this.It's a new day, a new season.
I mean, you sure you don't want to take the Spurs to beat the Thunder on Wednesday night at plus 600?I can't offer you that.
Nah, that sounds like a Charlotte Wilder bet.You could go ahead and grab that one.That one and the Webby.
What about a Tatum Triple Double against the Pacers for plus $1,100?
That's also a Charlotte Wilder bet.I like how they back load all the bets with like all the ones that Charlotte's going, ooh, that one's shiny and speaks to me.
None of these bets speak to me.
You know what?I might one up myself with a Tatum Triple Double against the Pacers at plus $1,100.
You might as well.I'd rather that than the Wizards winning two games in the same week.
OK, I'm doing it.I'm one-upping myself.I'm sticking myself with the Ferrari.I can't afford everybody.We'll see you tomorrow for a special Hooperween episode.Michael Jordan is the GOAT!
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