48 Minutes: Episode #4 (12/28/22)

0:49 ... Lakers are squandering LeBron James' late career brilliance ... at age 38 we compare him to Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at that age.

1:50 ... Bruce predicts LeBron will pass Kareem on the all time scoring list on February 11, 2023 against Golden State in an ABC prime time game.

2:08 ... Orlando has cooled off just a bit, but is still playing well behind their Killer B's: Banchero, Bamba, and Bol.

4:28 ... The guys look back at the Christmas Day games and share their big thoughts.

5:53 ... James Harden's playmaking has made Joel Embiid the NBA's scoring leader.

6:47 ... The Celtics crushed the Bucks behind their high octane tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

7:26 ... The "Two J's" are giving Bruce a "Jordan/Pippen" vibe

10:14 ... Ross looks back at the Suns/Nuggets roller coaster ride on Sunday, including another monster triple double from "The Joker" and a "Dunk of the Year" candidate from Aaron Gordon.

13:02 ... The Lakers really stink right now and even LeBron can't save them. They gave up 51 points in a quarter to Dallas and were outscored 51-21 during that 12 minute stretch.

14:41 ... Ross was not impressed with Memphis guard Ja Morant's overconfidence when discussing the challenges he claims they won't face in the west.

16:30 ... Klay Thompson delivered a message to Dillon Brooks and the Grizzlies that the Dubs remember how the Grizz disrespected them and to expect some payback.

18:00 ... The Nets are still on fire and they're much more than just Durant and Irving. Coach Jacque Vaughn, Ben Simmons, TJ Warren, Royce O'Neale, and Joe Harris are all making key contributions. Bruce compares O'Neale to a younger PJ Tucker who does all the little things to help a team win.

24:55 ... Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis were scheduled to face off on Tuesday night in a titanic clash of All Star caliber "bigs," but Sabonis had to miss the game due to injury. The guys compare and contrast these two centers and the similarities are pretty striking.

32:12 ... Who is Alperen Sengun and why should we care? The 20 year old 6'9" center from Turkey is in his 2nd season with the Rockets and is turning a lot of heads. In his honor, Ross, Bruce, and "World B" each choose their favorite Turkish player.

33:48 ... Ross chooses his friend Ersan Ilyasova ... 35:04 World B likes Hedo Turkoglu ... 36:29 Bruce shockingly picks former Celtic (and Knick, and Blazer, and Thunder, and Jazz) Enes (Kanter) Freedom.

38:38 ... Ross explains how Boston's Luke Kornet ("The Green Kornet") has a novel way of challenging three point shot attempts from his spot in the paint. Don't laugh ... Kristaps Porzingis loves the idea and will try it too.

39:57 ... We've got you gamblers covered too with "Best Bets." Ross shares his insight on reliable 3 point shooters from different teams that you can put in a "Parlay X" and make big bucks.

42:40 ... Mike's parting shot is an appreciation of new Cavalier Donovan Mitchell and his impact in Cleveland. 43:46 Bruce points out that the very best bigs in the NBA are all International players. 44:50 Ross laments the demise of "Eastbay," the "shoe catalog of dreams" from his youth.

45:42 ... Finally the crew pays tribute to Duncan Robinson of the Heat. On Monday he made his 800th career 3 point shot in just his 263rd game, an NBA record. The entire top 5 on the list (Robinson, Luka Doncic, Buddy Hield, Donovan Mitchell, and Stephen Curry) are all active players. Of course Mike Freer has another crazy Robinson stat at 46:53.

47:30 ... Final thoughts and Goodbye

TRT 48:20