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>> on today's show. >> before the nba announces the all-star starters, we make our picks. >> and we debate whether or not one is headed to the hall of fame. >> and hold on to your mike, we count down this mean team.

>> it's thursday, january 22nd. "the starters" starts right now. >> good day sweet world! and welcome to the start your engines!. whether you're joining us live or listening to the podcast or watching us on nba tv i'm jay

skeets and alongside me as always, -- >> talking about shrinkage. >> leigh and tray kirby and yes, we have a fun show for you tonight. we'll get to the mean team. going to talk a little bit more about shawn marion and his hall

of fame credentials, something we have talked about in the past but first tonight is the big night ads we find out who will start in the upcoming all-star game in n. combrment c. in a special one of hour edition of "inside the nba." that fun gets under way at 7:00

p.m. on tnt. but before they announce the initial starters, #nba bell. >> you guys have been doing great. we thought it would be fun if we made our picks, our "the starters" picks. we'll get to the reserves

friday or early next week. starts starts, this is where we agreed or disagrees. curry and james harden as our backcourt. sorry kobe lovers. anthony davis and the crazy statistics he's put up there despite playing on a .500 squad

and then marc gasol and the interesting one is that sort of third big. third forward, whatever you want to call it. leigh has blake griffin and tray and i going with the maybe somewhat controversial kevin durant who hasn't even played

20 games but why lamarcus aldridge? >> it came down to lamarcus because he has been the steadier presence. not the flashier guy or guy who will provide splashy dunks but he has the second best record of western conference and

without his running mate and, well blake just hasn't felt very inspired. >> doesn't seem like it. his numbers are fantastic but his play and it feels like clippers play has been a little bit uninspiring and you kind of have to punish him for that.

his punishment is coming off the bench. >> i disagree because i think you are punishing him for having lower numbers than years before. he had a stretch where he was fantastic. i know the clippers aren't

where we might think they might be but blake has been great and his assists are up as well which is probably why his scoring is down for the season and measuring him on this season alone i think he has been fantastic but comparing him to season's past.

>> just comparing him to lamarcus. numbers are similar. >> you can make a strong case for either. i went with blake because i think he has been a little bit better. >> i don't think the coaches

are going to vote two blazers off the bench in lamarcus and damian lillard. i think there is a chance they might bring blake and chris paul. >> we throw durant up on this board along with lamarcus and blake.

the numbers are really similar, of course. >> this durant case, please. 19 games, less than half. >> less than half but tray, i got a couple reasons why it should absolutely be -- >> it was going to come down to lamarcus and blake but by the

time is all-star game will have come around he will have played 30 or 33 then you won't care that he missed 20 games at the beginning of the season. he is the reigning m.v.p. and no doubt been one of the best players in the league every season.

>> i'm with you. 30 out of 53 if he plays. but you'll talk about the stats. what do we do when we pick our all-star starter? you look at crazy stats, you want to see the numbers and team success how valuable that

guy is to his team and a final one which is why i picked k.d., if you took all these stars and threw them on the play ground and said let's do a pick 'em here. who is the number one pick? who is the number two pick? the other all-stars in the

leaping wouldn't pick k.d. and lebron one, two. i know it sounds simple but i think it's a part you have to consider. >> we need to go to the school yard and pick guys off the wall. that's what should happen in

the all-star game but they are picking them next thursday and he will not have played in half his team's games and i would hate too take him off because he is last year's m.v.p. but you shouldn't take him just because he is last year's m.v.p.

february he would be a majority. >> that's fine. >> let's hear what people think, jump on twitter, #starters. let's hear your picks. let's go to the east because we disagree on a couple there as

well. couple we agree on. pau gasol is our big, big center. lebron james, hey, he's missed games. >> not as many as durant. >> of course. and then we disagree on a whole

lot here. so we see there as the and i have kyle lowry. jay and leigh have jeff teague. i'll make a case for jimmy butler. trey and myself like millsap and you're going with vucevic. let's start with the guards.

tas, kyle lowry? >> he leads the best of the eastern conference. all this talk about the atlanta hawks and what they are doing, they are not as good as the toronto raptors, so jeff teague runs an inferior offense with a lot better parts.

but the raptors have inferior parts around kyle lowry. kyle carries this team on his back. kyle lowry, game in, game out has done it and brought his team to a level of yes, jeff teague has been great but kyle lowry has just done more.

>> shooting 35% from the field in january, 3 1/2 turnovers per game. jeff teeing has just been mr. steady the whole time. i think he is there just because he stirs that delinquent hiccup and that's a drink we're all drinking right

he has just been amazing. he is third in the east among guards and i like that he has stuck out for a team where guards have stuck out. >> i think their offense isn't as good as the raptors so you have to give lowry lots of points for that, right?

>> well, the result it's of the hawks is better than the raptors. >> well, the raptors defense is also very, very -- >> so what do you want? five atlanta hawks? >>i think jeff teague is a little bit like tony parker but

his role isn't to play like that. he often defers to other guys and it's number of doubt when you think of his coach in coach "budweiser hot seat." he zwsh in coach bud plays like that. >> you take wall or butler, any

of these guys are very deserving. again, i go with jimmy butler, but why john wall? you all seem to be onboard with is that an easy pick to you? >> yes. jimmy b. has dropped off a little bit and he has an

incredible supporting cast better than i think john wall's who hasn't had his guys for an incredible season i just feel like john wall has done more and -- >> he is talents one in the double figures and leading the league in everything.

>> he leads the league in minutes too. derrick rose in and out of the team, he -- in and out of the lineup. he's tcheard triple-team. >> but he is a shooting guard that can't shoot. 32% from three-point land is a

number but shooting guard by definition, you have to shoot the ball better. >> i think he has been so solid for them let's not forget that he is all-world defense as and i know in the all-star game no one really cares about that but i want to clearly get to

the vucevic. try and sell me on why you are going vucevic. >> two of them are definitely going to the all-star game. demarcus cousins is probably another who would be there but vucevic has been the one constant on an inconsistent

team. he has just been a solid rock for them. he may not be the best defender. >> no, he is not. >> but if you compare him to paul millsap, he is a better defender than paul millsap.

>> no. >> statistically he is. >> but millsap has defenders around him and vucevic doesn't. >> i don't know how you sold me on jeff teague but then vucevic? >> i think millsap has been better for the team than --

>> "the starters" more next. maybe we'll just talk more >> welcome back to "the starters." every thursday we scattered shower the internet to brisk you mean team. weird and whacky moments from the past few days.

it's a tough job but someone's got do it. >> at number five see how rajon rondo stays where he stays. ooh. right off marc gasol's. >> i thought you said there would be no deflated balls. at number four will ferrell

made an appearance to shoot a scene for a new movie. looks like a good scene because he just pegs a cheerleader while pretending to do a half court shot and it is -- she is ok! it's all acting. they are really good at this.

but he was for the movie escorted out. can't wait to see "daddy's out" with mark wahlberg and will ferrell. >> very painful. didn't clear the first guy. forget about guys three, four and five.

stephon marbury loved it! >> more deflated balls. >> at number two, dirk's never been known to be a shot blocker. but would defend the heck out of a postgame interview. knocking the mike out of a -- >> the underrated part is

definitely chandler looking legit angry at just deflated -- oh, my god! >> the word of the week is execute. >> did a good job execution. had eight assists in the first quarter. what did you see from them

defensively? >> we did a good job executing. >> are you upset with something? >> i just don't like you. >> you don't? >> you do not like nick either? >> i love nick. but i don't like you.

>> we executing. we executing. we, cuting. anymore questions? i don't like you. just two other really quick things here, russ, how was the execution tonight? [laughter]

>> you see who -- and the second thing is -- want to play with this guy? >> and the second thing is do you like us? >> you guys are good. you guys are good. >> two things. people don't like ernie

johnson. they love ernie johnson. >> greatest ever. >> and speaking of the greatest. you don't tell me that we don't have the best league in the sport to cover? >> that was good.

good meme team. we had a wedgey, another wedgey. this was crazy. >> and the big name players are getting into it. anthony davis the phenomenon has spread to the great wedging it in there like the hair is

wedged in between his eyebrows. kidding, anthony. i was one as well. that's another wedgey. anthony davis. got to update that board. >> got an all-star wedgey? >> i like tas' idea. we've got to stop doing the d's

without a weagey and just start tallying the wedgeys because we have to be around 30. >> good stuff. >> all-star wedgey. i love it. all right. let's unleash the unicorn. get on out here today's fantasy

minute presented by fan dual. and it's a low boy. we're talking low boy. fantasy lines of the night. poll apologies to anthony davis and nicolas batum who had low lines but a big win for the suns. 11-22 shooting.

15 at the line. 1-2 made. three steals. >> career high 33. kind of surprising. >> at number two, andre drummond. big man. killing vucevic unfortunately

there. 26 points, 10-14 shooting. 6-8 at the line. 17 rebounds. one assist. and the defense, four blocks, but the low boy goes to brandon jennings. 24 points, 10-21 shooting, 3-5

from the line and one three-pointer made and there's a reason why. 21 assists, only two turnovers. >> that's great. 24-21? he is joining only john stockton and magic johnson in that 20-20 club of 35 minutes

or less. >> so you're saying hall of fame? >> when you're joining a list with john stockton and magic johnson, you're getting a low boy. >> we've got to take a break. when we return, the matrix

plans to retire at the end of the season. so we're going to debate his hall of fame credentials. we're coming back. "the starters." shawn marion is making his 16th nba season his final one. and he says he will retire at

the end of this season. i wanted to go out on my terms he told the republic yesterday afternoon saying being away from his first child is sort of the driving decision. he spent the first 8 1/2 seasons in phoenix after being drafted by the suns and had

short snivents meme and toronto and now on to the cavs. it's something we debated and discussed back in the summer. is shawn marion a hall of famer? does he have the credentials? >> well, he was never leading scorer on a winning team but he

leads all other categories. need a guy to d-up one through five? no problem. don't see but four-time all nba all-star and two-time all nba player and champ with the mavs but different make the all defense teams because he didn't

get credit for making it with the suns but i think he was a great defender, could rebound a ton. he could be a third noppings terms of scoring as well. if you're a coach i think you consider this guy a hall of famer.

he could do everything and when your guys get denied, this guy could score for you. >> i think there's a lot of room in the hall of fame for quintessential guys, he is a top 75 guy all time in the nba. i don't know how you say no to >> you said it tas you put guys

in the hall of fame that were just scorers. and that's fine and but shawn marion is sort of this exact opposite. he just filled the box score in every other column. it's a weird one. i think young fans are sort of

like shawn marion? but if you saw him back with the suns and the way they played the suns seven seconds marion just as much as nash or amar'e was a huge reason they could play that way. >> absolutely. and for someone who never had a

play called for him, he scored t ball in so many ways just by getting out and running and understanding his role playing with steve nash but also if you look at the cleveland cavaliers, they are in championship mode but the guy they wanted on their defense

was shawn marion. still a guy that they wanted to get on to help them win the championship and maybe they will. who knows? >> they will argue because shawn marion playing in seven seconds or less, his numbers

were inflated. but still incredible scoring between 17 and 21 points four straight years with double digit box scores. >> and he put up numbers too when stephon marbury was with the team and just had continued success throughout his career

and that's why he is posting those numbers. >> and doesn't hurt that he pick up a ring and was a winner with the 2011 mavericks. that helps when you're weighing guys and whether or not they should get in. does he have a ring?

is he a winner? went through a couple conference finals then got a ring. >> played a lot of games and minutes and any team he went to he always tried hard. you never saw this guy tanking or moping on the bench.

when he was in toronto he still played as hard as he could and then went to dallas and wound up winning a ring. >> remember going to him in the post because he had a matchup that worked for them. >> which is strange. that's crazy.

>> that he had a matchup in the post? >> well, he could just put it in. it was ugly. he was 81% from the free-throw line. >> i won't be surprised though if people disagree with us.

on twitter do you think the matrix is a hall of famer? let us know, #starters. when we return, pick 'em results and tas is back in the race. last night a very solid player. >> back with the start your engines! and you're back with

the pick-up payoff race. cude's. last night huge. i went 2-3, tas is right back in it. i'm two games up for the month of january. tonight's picks we agree the spurs on the road in chicago

then the bucks, blazers and clippers at home. so good luck to you. a little reminder once again, tonight before we get under way with the double-header. tnt at 7:00 p.m. eastern time the nba all-star starters will be announced.

look foorpped finding out who is in there and then we will get to the games. late-breaking news, lakers tweeting and letting us know that kobe bryant last night against the pelicans preliminary results showing that he tore his rotator cuff,

and he did it there. because you will see him grab his right arm there on the dunk and went on to play and was shooting with his left hand. >> did make one. >> the lakers are saying kobe will be flown back to l.a. and re-examined on friday.

keep an eye on nba tv and nba.com. >> in the all-star game playing with one arm? >> tristan thompson switched? that would be ok? >> before we get to the solid play until we have a sign. >> it comes from penalty kill a

in manila who is the biggest suns fan outside so says think my son's -- my suns chance have a chance to win. at the bottom, p.s., i love you mr. skeets. >> aw, you're making me feel old. >> you're making feel old.

that's my father. leigh, solid play? >> going to the fort tres and it's not the traditional lay-up. don't rotate off anyone other than kyle korver because that's what he is going to do to you. always want to get to the guy

that's open but oh, my gosh, look at how much room he's got. >> he did rattle it home but still a very sol play. >> guys, tomorrow, friday, the drop podcast our hour-long podcast on itunes. we will be back tomorrow night with the talk about the

all-stars. >> and remember, you can find beauty in anything even blowing your nose can create a butterfly. >> embrace the day, people. [captioning made possible by nba digital]