Xavier is back this week to host the Core 4. In the intro, Matt defends his position on trading Tyus Jones this summer after catching some heat from last week's episode.
In their first segment, the guys Embrace Debate on whether or not Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks have a case to make this year's All-Star game. Ja Morant is a lock but what will it take for the Grizzlies to get a second All-Star? The west is loaded with talent but with some stars slated to miss time due to injury, there could be a path for one to make up ground in the conversation.
In the Hot and Cold segment, Dave says the tanking race is heating up with teams like Utah and San Antonio returning to Earth after their more competitive starts to the season. Matt has an eye on the MVP race with an incredible performance from Nikola Jokic. As for what's cooling off? The Grizzlies' trap game performances, and the Lakers' and Warriors' injury problems.
The NBA announced their regular season awards would be renamed after legends of the game. Dave gives a history lesson on these players standing in the game's history and asks the guys if the NBA missed the mark. Matt believes the league has locked them into the awards too soon and guys like Lebron and Giannis better fit a few of the awards while Xavier makes the case Jamal Crawford should not have been forgotten.
To finish the show, the guys update their NBA Contenders Ranked by the College Football Playoff Committee rankings. With Memphis demolishing Milwaukee last week, and some struggles at the top of the rankings, the Grizzlies have made their debut in the top spot. How long can Memphis hold its position? Their current road trip could tell us a lot about their championship ceiling.
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