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Above the Rim with Dakari
Dive deep into the basketball world with Above the Rim with Dakari .Every week, we break down NBA with game recaps, analysis, and hot takes for hardcore basketball fans.
Above the Rim with Dakari
LeBron & Steph Make History, OKC's 14-Game Streak, Jimmy Butler's Trade Request
In this episode of Above the Rim with Dakari we dive into Jimmy Butler's trade request from the Miami Heat, analyze OKC Thunder's impressive 14-game winning streak, and break down the record-breaking performances of LeBron James and Steph Curry.
What's up everybody. Welcome to another episode of above the room with Dakari. So new year is starting with a bang for the NBA and we have a lot to talk about. So let's talk some NBA hoops.
Speaker 0:Jimmy Butler has officially requested a trade for the Miami Heat. That's right. The man is doing Miami and he said I'm willing to go to a team that's gonna help me win an NBA championship. Now this doesn't surprise me at all, because there were clear signs he was ready to go. Now I'm looking forward to what team he'll be traded to.
Speaker 0:I see the teams he's interested in are the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. I believe the Dallas Mavericks would be the best fit for him because, in my opinion, they have the most depth and he won't need the balls much to be effective. On offense, jimmy Butler can do just a little bit of everything, like he has throughout his career. He would also help boost their team defense, especially covering up Luka Doncic's flaws. Speaking of Luka, it's unfortunate he's been healed of injuries this season, because he's looked every bit like an MVP candidate. He started the year off a little rough, shooting the ball efficiently, but he really woke up. The Mavericks are currently fifth in the Western Conference and have a record of 7-5. Without Luka Now, unfortunately, he's expected to miss a month of action, but when he comes back the Mavericks are going to be dangerous and it could be possible that Butler is in the Mavericks jersey. Butler's fit just makes too much sense. If the Mavericks acquire Jimmy Butler, I think they will be tied in contenders. That team is deep and will be a handful in the playoffs. As far as the Miami Heat, it's clear that it's Tyler Hero and Bam Adebayo's team. Now it's time for the Heat to build around them and move on from Jimmy Butler, because even though Jimmy Butler's a pretty good player, I don't think the Heat can really win anything with Jimmy Butler as the main guy. I'm interested to see where Jimmy Butler's going to end up. He's still a pretty good player and I think he will help an elite team win an NBA championship.
Speaker 0:Steph Chef Curry was on fire against the 76ers. Did you see him? He had 30 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and shot 8 of 8 from 3 on 73% field goal percentage. That is just an unreal stat line, man. Now I'm seeing people calling Steph lost every time he has a bad game and that's crazy to me. I believe Steph's game could aid until he's 40 years old, as long as he doesn't suffer any crazy Achilles or ACL injury. Don't get it twisted. Steph has a lot of game left.
Speaker 0:Jonathan Kaminga did a little bit of everything, scoring 20 points on 72% field percentage, while grabbing the five assists and five rebounds. That's a good game. Kaminga has been hooping lately and really starting to figure it out. He's averaging 20 points in his last 10 games off the bench. I say this all the time. Kaminka can play and the talent is there. Kerr just got to give him a consistent role to thrive. Kerr is finally using him right correctly as a cutter. Kaminka is going to be a good player man. If I were the Warriors, I wouldn't trade him Now, do? I think he would develop into a superstar someday? Maybe not, but you just never know.
Speaker 0:Dennis Schroeder had a good game. He was playing good defense and found his groove offensively. 15 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals. I see, dennis, I think Schroeder is going to find a good, consistent groove offensively. He's just going to go through a little bit of transition. Y'all got to give him some time. He's going gonna be just fine. What I really like about Schroeder is that he's able to have a positive impact on the game beyond scoring, whether it's getting teammates involved or playing defense at a high level, he just does a little bit of everything.
Speaker 0:Draymond Green came to play 15 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. That's how you play right there. The box score didn't jump out to you, but Draymond is having a solid season shooting the three ball. He's shooting 36% from three on three attempts a game. Also, his defense has been very elite this season. He's looking like a defensive player candidate. Andrew Wiggins had 15 points. He's having a good season. However, I saw that he's eighth on the All-Star Western Conference voting. But let's be honest. Andrew Wiggins is not an All-Star this year, especially not over DeMonta Sabonis and Jerrion Jackson. That's crazy to me.
Speaker 0:Xga had a light day in the office 29 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. There was just not much to say, man. The man is just an MVP candidate and he just keeps getting better and better. Xga is a top 5 player in the league and he's becoming one of my favorite players in the NBA right now. J Dub had a strong game 25 points, 5 assists. That's how you play. I need to see J Dub have these kind of games consistently against elite teams. He has a pattern of disappearing at big moments, but last night he showed up. Okc is going to go as far as JW. They need him to shine in games like this all the time. Isaiah Hardenstein didn't really do too much scoring, but he ditched out seven assists, grabbed 14 rebounds just a little bit of everything. Hardenstein was a great pickup man. He's what you need in the center. I was really hoping he was signed with Orlando Magic, but it's okay. We got Goga Batazi from the Pacers, though. He's really helping us win, so it doesn't really matter.
Speaker 0:Big Mount Carthney Towns. I need 30 fam, but 17 points and 22 rebounds is pretty good. The New York Knicks really robbed the Timberwolves. I'm still laughing about this to this day. The Wolves were the number one seed, had their best season over a decade and nearly made the finals, and yet they traded the wrong big. The Wolves should have traded that slow foot, no bag dinosaur named Rudy Gobert. He's a terrible fit next to Julius Randle. Speaking of Julius Randle, he has to go as well. He clogs up space due to him not really being a threat from three. His game does consist of a lot of dribbling around and post-ups and stupid contested mid-range shots. I just don't understand why the Timberwolves traded the cat. He's really thriving in New York and he's looking like an MVP candidate. Now he's not a brandable name but with how he's playing he should definitely be in MVP conversations right now.
Speaker 0:Jalen Brunson took 23 shots to score 22 and only made nine. That's nasty with Brewer. That ain't like you at all. But you'll bounce back. Mikael Bridges put up 24 points. He's proven. Y'all wrong, man. What y'all gotta say? Y'all said he was a waste of a trade and it fell off because he had a slow start shooting the ball. But look at him now. He's still playing sound defense and his shooting percentages are going up. The Knicks got so much depth they don't need Mikael Bridges to score like he did in Brooklyn. Og Ananobi had a solid game with 20 points on 52% shooting. That's how you play, bro. If you can score anywhere between 15 to 20 points, you'll be good. Just be consistent.
Speaker 0:Now on to the highlight of the week. Lebron Ramon James makes history once again, last night surpassing Michael Jordan in all-time 30 point games with 563, and he's also number four in total games played with 1,523, and what better way to make history than doing it in a win against the Atlanta Hawks? The Lakers defeat the Hawks 119-102, led by King James, with 30 points, eight rebounds and 65 percent. What could I say? Man LeBron just continues to defy father time. To be 40 years old and still playing at this level is crazy. I don't know how he does it. Lebron said he's not done and he believes he can play for another five to seven years if he wanted to. But I'd say he's got another three to four years, so that's pretty good.
Speaker 0:Anthony Davis had 18 points, 19 rebounds, along with three steals and three blocks. But six for 17 from the field is nasty work, bro, and you gotta stop selling my parlays. I need 25 plus points, not 18. Stop selling my parlays, man. You costing me. What are you doing?
Speaker 0:Austin reeves had 20 points, with seven rebounds and six assists. Didn't shoot the ball well, but he still made a positive impact. Austin reeves has been hooping lately. He's averaging 21 points, seven rebounds and 6 assists in his last 10 games. This is the Austin Reeves that Lakers need every night man. If he could put up close to 18 to 20 points a night, like he has been doing, then the Lakers are going to be a much better team.
Speaker 0:I like Austin Reeves because he's fearless and he's not afraid to take shots. Dalton Kinnick had a solid game with 13 points and shot 3 of 4 from 3. Dalton Kinnick has struggled a little bit consistently recently, but he'll be okay. It's just a typical rookie wall that he went through. He just has to stay confident and keep shooting the ball. Jalen Johnson just continues to thrive. He had 19 points and 8 rebounds.
Speaker 0:I'm really impressed with his game. He's a great rebounder and a lead defender and can score from anywhere. I honestly think he deserves some all-star consideration. Do I think he's gonna make the all-star team this year? No, because there's too many big names out there, but I do see him making all-star teams in the future.
Speaker 0:What do y'all think? Trey Young had a great game. He had 33 points and 9 assists. Trey Young's been having a very interesting season. His scoring is down and the shooting percentage haven't been great, but he's doing a great job of facilitating and making his teammates better. He's currently leading the NBA in assists, averaging 12 a game. Another area where Trae Young has surprisingly improved in is his defense. He's much more engaged and is part of the reason why the Hawks are on pace to win more games than last year. Young is also averaging 1.5 steals a game, which is ranked 11th in the NBA. That's exactly what I want to see from Young. I'm not really concerned about his scoring, because he's too good of a shooter to not figure it out. As long as Young is contributing on the defensive end and continuing to orchestrate the offense the way he is right now, then the Hawks are going to be very dangerous. This wraps up another episode of Above the Room with Dakari. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to like and follow me.