Hey everybody, I'm Chris Mannix from The Vertical, and welcome to the Vertical podcast with Chris Manix, where I check in with some of the top players, coaches, and analysts covering the NBA.

It's a two-guest podcast this week.

Joining me first is Bobby Marks, the front office insider for the vertical.

I talked to Bobby about what is behind the disappointing start of the Portland Trailblazers.

There's a couple things there. The Al-Farukamino injury hurt them. Your bench has been a little

bit up and down. You mentioned Turner, Alan Krab, Myers-Lennard. And later, Dan Wojke, the Clippers

beat writer for the Orange County Register. He'll hop on and tell me what he sees from Blake

Griffin, an emerging MVP candidate.

I don't think it's fun to play against him, and I don't think guys particularly like playing

against him. It's really physical. You know, you're right about kind of the working of the

officials and that type of stuff, and I do think that gets under people's skin a little bit.

All that and more coming up next on the vertical podcast with Chris Manix.

Well, welcome back to another episode of the vertical podcast with Chris Manix.

Got two guests for you this week.

We'll be joined by Bobby Marks, the front office insider over at the vertical.

We'll take a run through the week that was in the NBA. Hit a bunch of topics

there. And then I'll be joined by Dan Waikie of the Orange County Register. Dan covers the

Clippers. And we'll talk about a team that has emerged as the hottest team, the best team,

right now anyway, as of Monday, in the NBA. So a lot to get to today, but I want to begin with Bobby

Marks, and he joins me here on the line. How are you, Bobby? I'm good, Chris. How are you?

Oh, you know, we're now, what, about a month into the season. From your experience with the

Nets, I mean, how, when you get through a month's worth of games and you're 14, 15 games in,

...