The Play Call: Recent Episodes
The Play Call
With the first week of the NFL done and dusted, Jose and Nick break down pretty much every game. They go into the surprise of the Texans almost scoring 40 points, the disappointing Colts, Jalen Hurts, and what this loss for the Bills means. Nicks, of course, deep dives into the Cowboys' loss to the Buccaneers on opening night, as the Cowboys' offense looked fantastic, while the Buccaneers looked slow. Jose then gets his chance to rant on how bad the Giants' offensive system is and how it cost them the game against the Broncos. Finally, the main event of the opening week was Browns vs. Cheifs, and even though the Cheifs came out slow, they reminded everyone that they are still the best team in the AFC. The Browns seem like they will challenge, but mistakes need to be cleaned up before they can beat the Chiefs.
With the start of the NFL season just a few days away, Nick and Jose break down every Week 1 game, but first, they talked about one of the biggest stories in sports. Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons seems to have requested a trade, and all signs point to that he will never play for the 76ers against. We broke down all our favorite landing sports from the Timberwolves to the Kings, Trailblazers, and Pacers. Before we dive into every Week 1 game, we did some housekeeping, which primarily revolved around Cam Newton's future in the NFL after being cut by the Patriots. Jose and Nick pretty much agreed on every game, but two games were between the Football Team and the Chargers, and the Giants and the Broncos were the only games they picked different winners.
For the first time, The Play Call Podcast will have a guest, and that will be Joe Leo. Joe has known Jose and Nick from their time together at Brooklyn College, and as a Jets fan, he was perfect to come on and talk about the NFL. We start by going into all the Jets news from this offseason and Joe's feeling on his team, as they seem to be at least heading in a positive direction. After that, we go into our predictions for every division, breaking down the moves that could make every team better.
Most of the big moves that were going to happen during this year's NBA free agency, it is good to look back over all the big moves that happened. Jose and Nick go through the Heat, Bulls, Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, and Maverick signings, along with other news, and player and team fit that we liked.
As hinted at the end of last week's episode, we are finally going to start diving into the NFL as we start talking about the Colts and the injuries that have plagued them this training camp. Finally, we get into our Super Bowl way too early projection, with Jose picking the Cheifs versus the Rams and Nick picking the Cheifs versus the Buccaneers.
To start this PlayCall Podcast NBA Draft special, Jose and Nick begin with the only actual big trade on draft night, Russel Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jose and Nick break down the trade going into the issues that the addition of Westbrook can cause on this roster. However, we look at the possibilities that this team has and what might need to happen to win the NBA Finals again. After we dive deep into our winners and losers of the NBA Draft, going into just about every pick looking at scheme fit and the role these new rookies might play for their new franchises. The Magic, Hornets, and Nets were clear winners, while the Kings seemed to be the only real loser, not because of who they picked but because of fit and prior statements. The Rockets, Thunder, and Warriors were inbetweeners, not knowing what to make of their draft just yet.
The NBA Finals are done, and the Bucks have emerged victoriously. Jose and Nick break down the series and the semi failures of the Suns to not win their Finals. This is a very long conversation lasting for over an hour but goes into deep dives into every part of the series and players. After that, we look over the NBA free agency that will be beginning soon. We talk about the news that has surrounded it and the things we would want to see even though they might not be possible, Kahwi to the Warriors.
Suns vs. Bucks is not what most people expected to this year in this year's NBA Finals, but it is what we have. In just two games, the Suns have proven that getting to the Finals was not a fluke or an accident and have been dominant, taking a 2-0 lead as the series heads to Milwaukee. The Suns looked like the better team, and Jose and Nick break down exactly how the Suns have attacked this Bucks team on both sides of the ball. The conversation leads into a deeper discussion on the Bucks' future and how high this team can reach, as they have made it to the Finals but have also been disappointing.
In this week of the PlayCall Podcast, Jose and Nicks start with some Earth-shattering news that Dennis Schroder wants at least $100 million in his next contract. After that, we go into the actual topics of the Hawks vs. Bucks match-up, which has turned into the battle of the role players, as both Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo are missing time with injuries. Staying on the topic of the NBA, we discuss the Suns made it to the NBA Finals, along with how the Clipper will approach this offseason. Our final NBA topic is the Portland Trail Blazers as we go into the real possibility of Damian Lillard leaving to play for a real Finals contender.
In our last topic, we dive into the issue of Aaron Rodgers wanting to leave the Green Bay Packers after over a decade of the Packers disrespecting him as a player. With the drafting of a QB last year, Rodgers is finally fed up and wants out.
Jose and Nick tackle the tough conversation that is now going on in sports media on Ben Simmons. Should the 76ers trade him or not, what would be the best fit for him or even team to build around if he stays. As we get down to the final four teams, we go over the Clippers and Suns series so far and dive deep into what has been a fantastic run by the Hawks. We also explore Jason Kidd becoming the new head of the Mavs to see Nicks fan takes on the hiring.
In this new episode of The Play Call Podcats, Jose and Nick start by talking about Nicks' favorite, the Dallas Mavericks, who are going through a front office shift. After talking about the world of the front office and General Mangers for an hour, we dive deep into the Bucks vs. Nets series, as Kevin Durant has an awe-inspiring game to give the Nets a 3-2 lead.
After a quick break, we dive right into the strange series that is the 76ers vs. Hawks, and Jose makes the point that maybe the 76ers might want to move off one of their centers. As a podcast, we want players to reach their full potential and be in the right system and scheme to reach that.
Finally, our first conversation about the NFL starts with Jose's favorite team in the world, the New York Giants. How much can Daniel Jones improve, with a not-so-great offensive coordinator but new weapons around him? Also, with an already strong defense, how much can the team improve as a whole.
Western Conference Semi-Finals-
In the first hour of this podcast, Jose and Nick go over the Western Conference Playoffs series. The Clippers vs. Jazz series is the most interesting as both teams don't put their best foot forward. However, the Jazz pulls off the victory behind an impressive Donovan Mitchell performance. Both teams can play better, making this series very intriguing on what coaching staff makes the suitable adjustments. Sadly, the Suns vs. Nuggets matchup is not as exciting as it is clear that the Nuggets need Jamal Murray in the later round of the playoffs. Give praise to the Suns for making a historic turnaround from a top lottery team to NBA Final contenders.
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals-
In the second half of the show, we start with the Hawks vs. 76ers series, discussing what it would take for the Hawks to win another game. With Joel Embiid dominating and the 76ers putting better defenders on Trae Young, this series is starting to look bleak for Hawk fans. Last but not least, "the true NBA Finals" sees the Nets destroying the Bucks in the first two games. Kevin Durant has exposed the Bucks in so many different ways on defense, while Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to have the offensive versatility to succeed in the playoffs.
As for the first episode of this new podcast, we dove straight into the NBA Playoffs and Round 1.
The first out of the show is focused explicitly on the Dallas Mavericks playing the Los Angles Clippers. This goes into tangents like, what if Kawhi Leonard decided to leave the Clippers and take his talents to the Golden State Warriors, and Co-Host Nick Williams (a Mavs fan) goes into why Kristaps Porzingis scares him.
The following 30 minutes is focused on the New York Knicks and the team's shortcomings in the playoffs, concentrate on the horrible series by Julius Randle. Then, a quick detour into free agency moves, with Co-Host Jose Rohdin saying Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan is precisely what the Knicks need for next season.
After that, another 30 minutes, Nick and Jose got into the Suns' Lakers series, and what a Lakers eventual lose could do for the NBA as a whole, along with the legacies of one specific Laker.
Finally, the main event, a preview of the Nets Bucks series, which could be the best in this year's NBA Playoffs. Jose picks the Nets to win the series in 6, while Nick has the Bucks in 6. The pair go back and forth between the offensive, defensive matchup between the two, which will be the highlight of the series.